April 1, 2017
Lee Ann Knudsen
Other sectors cast envious eyes, while Canada’s trade is
Green with gratitude
Are consumers convinced their new home entertainment system is good for nature, just because a green cartoon frog said so?
A trivial plastic item, built and marketed to go obsolete in an eye-blink, comes in recycled packaging. Is anybody impressed?
Gourmet produce is “sustainably farmed.” Enough to cancel out the effect of transport halfway around the globe?
Marketers in every sector are contorting to make green claims. They are trying really hard to connect their products with environmental good will. And they seem to be digging ever-deeper credibility holes.
For horticulture professionals, it’s an entirely different story. Your products, plants and landscapes actually are, in fact, green. Voila!
No question, other enterprises can look very attractive — they offer steady, indoor work for starters. But you actually do sell plants, turf and landscapes that produce cooling oxygen, that provide shade and magnify nature’s beauty. Every horticulture professional I know holds a heartfelt respect for nature.
Beyond the big picture, you understand real green is about the details as well. For example, convincing homeowners to landscape with water conservation in mind. Or making the substantial investment in time, training and cash to see if no-emission equipment can compete in the marketplace. Or devising a system to keep watered at the shop, without any hydro — just to name a few challenges mentioned in this Green Issue’s articles.
My sense is that Canada’s trade really does regard the green advantage with gratitude, for sure. In fact, the attitude is more than grateful; it is spiritual. The mission is to sell honest work promoting living gardens, with both pride and humility.
Green can mean something real, after all.