Platt Hill Nursery grows all natural to reduce environmental impact
As humans' ecological footprint continues to leave impacts on the planet, the need for sustainable planting becomes a greater concern. At Platt Hill Nursery, 90% of all plant merchandise is naturally grown, with zero carbon emissions or waste on the grounds of the two locations in Bloomingdale and Carpentersville.
Natural growing methods have numerous benefits not just for the planet, but for you and your family. No chemicals are used in the cultivation of Platt Hill Nursery's plants.
Instead, Platt Hill Nursery has a beneficial insect program. These insects replace the use of pesticides and chemicals to help the plants grow stronger and healthier. The beneficial insect program helps the nursery grow successfully through the first of May which otherwise is a difficult feat to accomplish.
The local homegrown plant initiative helps to cut down on the organization's truck use for incoming nursery plant deliveries, which means less carbon emissions pollute the atmosphere.
Additionally, everything is hand planted so machines and fossil fuels are not used. Only three of Platt Hill Nursery's machines operate on diesel, everything else operates using electric. Even the street lights are environmentally friendly!
The LEDs installed in the parking lots, stores and greenhouses use significantly less energy than alternatives.
"I think it's pretty specific to Platt Hill because of the effort it takes to go through. It's less efficient to do something like recycling but it's better for everybody and the planet," said Daniel Strohl, production manager.
The Carpentersville location has a program to filter and recycle water supplies. Ninety percent of rainwater is collected and filtered into a large pond off Huntley Road.
This system reduces the amount of water the store uses while keeping the plants free from chemicals and toxins that otherwise would be in the water. Staff are taught to water on the dry side which also conserves water.
All excess water is caught in the floor drains and sent back to the big pond to be re-used when needed.
Platt Hill Nursery also partners with a vendor to reduce plastic waste. The vendor takes plastic containers, including plastic number 6, and sends them to a company that breaks down and recycles the material. Platt Hill Nursery recognizes the importance of keeping plastic out of landfills and repurposes plastic pallets in other ways like deliveries and storage. To the point they have installed a water bottle refilling station for customer and employee use.
Keeping families and the environment safe are top priorities for Platt Hill Nursery. All measures taken are to ensure the best possible quality of their plants to give customers the best gardening experience.
For more, go to platthillnursery.com.