American Meadows and its sister company, High Country Gardens, are
driven by their shared purpose of doing good through gardening.
Their commitment to supporting local communities and
positively impacting the environment has led to a pledge to divert
all organic materials from the waste stream. At the end of each
season, unsold plants are donated to community-focused
organizations rather than discarded into landfills.
This season, plant donations have supported the creation of new
community and memorial gardens, habitat restoration, and
educational initiatives. These contributions have benefited
approximately two dozen recipients, including urban gardening
organizations in Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Taos, Santa Fe,
and Salt Lake City. “The continued support
we’ve received from High Country Gardens has been instrumental in
advancing our Bee Campus goals,
helping us to engage our students, faculty, staff, and community
members.” Shared Dr. Alejandra Villalobos, UNM-Taos
Director of Strategic Initiatives and Research, one of the two
dozen plant donation recipients this spring.
“Sending organic materials to landfills creates consequences
that are counterproductive to our purpose” states Tabar
Gifford, Master Gardener and Partnership Cultivator at American
Meadows and High Country Gardens who has been leading this
initiative.
When discarded into a landfill, organic materials, such as food
scraps, yard waste, and unsold plants from the agricultural and
gardening industries decompose anaerobically (without oxygen). This
creates methane emissions, a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more
powerful than carbon dioxide according to the Environmental
Defense Fund. Additionally, leachate is produced, a liquid that
contains harmful chemicals and pollutants, which can seep into
groundwater, potentially contaminating drinking water sources and
harming ecosystems.
American Meadows Inc. wanted to prevent this negative impact,
while also supporting their purpose. Gifford emphasizes “We
committed to giving these plants a second chance. Rather than
dispose of them, we’ve worked to donate these perishable products
to over two dozen organizations and community groups around our
greenhouse locations.” This year, both companies were able to
find homes for 100% of unsold plants, resulting in over 15,000
plants and bulbs finding their way to new homes. “Bringing
communities together while adding beauty and ecological benefits
was a big motivator for us."
The benefiting communities and organizations have shared their
experiences and how they’ve used these plants:
Tom Kassan, working with the Avon Land Trust in
Connecticut, is leading efforts in his town to restore public
spaces and shared: “The community is going to benefit
from the native plant donation in many ways. Since we created the
garden right at the trailhead, anyone who comes to the property to
hike or bird watch from the gazebo will be able to enjoy the pretty
garden growing alongside Hopefully that inspires others to plant a
native garden at their house, or do something similar in a
different community.”
Plants donated to the St. Louis Community College’s Meramec
Horticulture Program have provided numerous hands-on learning
opportunities, enriching the student experience. “Much of our
curriculum focuses on native plant horticulture and healthy
ecosystems, so the species of natives and nativars that were
donated really helped us improve and increase the diversity of our
herbaceous perennial collection,” shares Carrie Coyne,
Horticulture Program Facilitator.
Sally McCabe, Associate Director of Community Education at the
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, explains: “Distributing
bulbs at the recent Green City Teachers training means new
experiences for the participants, who have taken them to as many as
75 school, community, and home gardens.”
Nancy King of Ghost Ranch in New Mexico shared: “This past
spring, we embarked on a mission to restore vegetation on the
inhabited areas of the ranch to cool and beautify the
landscape. Incorporating High Country Gardens native
xeriscape plants has been a critical step in restoring vegetation
while responsibly managing water use and ensuring that the plants
are sustainable and long-lasting.”
Hannah Whitney of Wasatch Community Gardens (WCG) shared:
“The plants and bulbs were used on the WCG’s Campus in Salt Lake
City and at a number of community gardens managed by WCG as
well as at some school gardens that we support. The donated plants
will bring beauty, joy, and pollinators to our gardens!”
Awareness of these environmental challenges has been gaining
momentum. Vermont, home to American Meadows and High Country
Gardens headquarters, was the first state to pass the Universal
Recycling Law (Act 148) which banned all food scraps from the
landfill after 2020. In June of 2024, the USDA announced a new
national strategy for reducing food loss and waste and recycling
organics to reduce organic waste, reduce climate pollution, and
ultimately save money for families and businesses alike.
American Meadows Inc. is committed to supporting community-based
organizations and programs and is proud to announce achieving zero
organic waste disposal this season. The company plans to continue
these initiatives, highlighting the impactful work of its partners
and community advocates nationwide who promote positive change
through gardening. “This is just the beginning,” emphasizes
Gifford. Supporting organizations with aligned values and missions,
fostering community engagement, and diverting organic waste from
landfills are core to the brand values of American Meadows and High
Country Gardens.
To see the full stories from the plant recipients, learn about
their missions, and see photo updates visit the Doing Good Through
Gardening Hub
To learn more about the benefits of
meadowscaping: https://www.americanmeadows.com/content/resources/meadowscaping/make-it-better
Learn where to start in your own yard:
https://www.americanmeadows.com/content/resources/meadowscaping
Learn how sustainability begins in your backyard:
https://www.highcountrygardens.com/content/gardening/sustainable-backyard
###
About American MeadowsAmerican Meadows is
Doing Good Through Gardening. Their innovative wildflower seed
mixes, pre-planned perennial gardens, and lawn alternatives are a
go-to for gardeners shopping online. With over 40 years of
experience and 650,000 happy customers, they are the authority in
meadowscaping. Visit www.AmericanMeadows.com for more.
About High Country Gardens
High Country Gardens believes Sustainability
Begins In Your Backyard. As the leading online provider of
waterwise plants and sustainable landscaping solutions, they have
been helping communities create beautiful and sustainable outdoor
spaces since 1993. Visit https://www.highcountrygardens.com/ for
more.
- Pennsylvania Horticultural Society received and distributed
over 900 plants from American Meadows to help support their
programs throughout Philadelphia. Here a happy recipient is ready
to dig in!
- High Country Gardens donated plants for Idaho Botanic Gardens
and Plant Select.
Tabar Gifford
American Meadows
ltabar@americanmeadows.com