Plants, Products & Services of CARE, the Wright Scoop

From the rain forests of south-east Alaska to the deciduous forests of the Mid-Atlantic region, across the Nation, all are challenged to identify and enable use of eco-sustainable products and/or services.

Eco Sustainable Product/Services –

Historically, earth-friendly is defined in terms of reduce, reuse and recycle; nevertheless, products and/or services which reflect a perspective of CARE - conservation, accountability, recovery and eco-efficiency - take this definition a step further. For, eco-sustainable products and/or services are not simply a result of lifestyle choices but reflect how we feel about the environment. While keeping it simple (as in simple living) is the name of the game, there is a more important underlying factor – a commitment to ultimate greening: providing for present-day lifestyles without sacrificing future eco systems.

So, the question is 'How much land area does it take to support your lifestyle?' Take a quiz to find out your Ecological Footprint, discover your biggest areas of resource consumption; and then, learn what you can do to tread more lightly on the earth.  While some of each person's Ecological Footprint is dependent upon individual choices, some of it is also per personal share of their societies' infrastructure. The first part can be influenced directly. On the other hand, the second part although equally critical to living within the means of one planet, must be influenced through more indirect action such as political engagement, green technology and innovation, and other work toward large-scale social change. To identify your eco impact, participate in an activity such as ecological footprint, www.footprintnetwork.org.

GoodGuide Identified as Product/Service of CARE -

If eco-healthy urban suburban communities are to exist, we must become people who CARE – have a perspective of conservation, advocacy, recovery and eco-efficiency; and in fact, tools such as the GoodGuide - www.goodguide.com enable such a commitment. GoodGuide provides issue-specific ratings so that consumers can evaluate and compare products based solely on their health, environmental and/or social performance. To ensure a rating system is transparent, consumers can view the complete set of indicators used to derive product or company ratings. Health impact is assessed by combining negative metrics (such as whether the product contains toxic ingredients of concern or ingredients that have low nutritional value) with available positive metrics (such as whether the product has been certified as safe or healthy by a credible third-party). To rate a product on environmental performance, GoodGuide currently uses company environmental records as a surrogate for product-level environmental impacts. And, to rate product social performance, GoodGuide uses company social records as a surrogate for product-level social impacts. Specifically, they assess social performance by examining

• how a company is governed

• consumer attributes such as product quality, safety and customer satisfaction

• societal attributes such as community engagement, philanthropic activities, and involvement with oppressive regimes)

• workplace attributes such as diversity, employee benefits and labor rights.

As consumer demand for ‘green products’ moves forward, so will implementation of sector specific ‘greening certifications’. Nevertheless, because GoodGuide is a fore-runner and appears to be accepted as well as measures all forms of consumer products, its measurement criteria should become a guideline for most product or service consumption. So, this service was recommended as a ‘product of CARE’ to ‘jump start’ consumer commitment to becoming a person who CAREs.

Since implementation of the Product/Services of CARE program in January of 2014, additional products/services are recommended:

     Radius Garden™ Identified as Product/Service of CARE - Radius Garden™ as founder Bruce Baker says, “Use of Radius tools is the opportunity to avoid blisters, sore wrists, and frustrating experiences which occur when using low quality tools which can break in a single season. At Radius Garden™ we ignore tradition and nonsense, re-thinking every aspect of every tool we make so you can have a better, more comfortable gardening experience. OSHA says 3/4 of all cumulative stress injuries are to the wrist and hand. Many, if not most, of these injuries can be prevented by better tool design. We believe that truly advanced ergonomic design ignores tradition and uses the most current research into human factors and tool usage. Our Patented, Natural Radius Grip™, maximizes your power and comfort while minimizing hand and wrist stress.”

      The American Beauties™ – American Beauties LLC, a partnership between Prides Corner Farms located Lebanon CT, and North Creek Nurseries located Landenberg PA, is a team of experts dedicated to identifying plants which guarantee landscapes that provide food and habitat for a variety of desirable critters. Launched in the spring 2006 in the Northeastern USA, plans are underway to make this program available in other parts of the country. Look for informative and easy-to-shop American Beauties displays at your independent garden centers. Purchasing an American Beauties plant will bring life to your garden and also helps a great cause. Every American Beauties plant sold benefits the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), their work to create better home landscape environments for you and the colorful garden critters you love. For additional details, visit the American Beauties web site, www.abnativeplants.com.

     WayCoolTools.com – WayCoolTools.com is a family owned and operated online garden tool catalog company located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Central Virginia. Founded by Charles and Janet, Charles has served as an organic gardening apprentice, worked at George Washington's Mt. Vernon Estate, has assisted in agricultural research and managed large estates, and is dedicated to providing WayCoolTools to gardeners and farmers. Janet has worked in garden centers and nurseries, consult as a professional gardener, and volunteered in public gardens. Her specialty is identifying neat plants, homestead technologies, and way cool garden tools. Janet facilitates local online co-ops and an online seed swap and garden forum, the Piedmont Garden Swap. For details or to acquire 'way cool' products and tools, visit web site www.waycooltools.com.

     Sunset Western Garden Collection™- Sunset Western Garden Collection™ is the first plant collection designed specifically for the Western gardener. Introduced in spring 2012, Sunset® magazine and Plant Development Services collaborated to bring superior plant introductions to retail garden centers throughout California, Oregon, and Washington. Partnerships with local growers allow the ability to customize the collection to best meet the climatic differences of diverse gardening regions. As a result, Wright recognizes Sunset Western Garden Collection™ as a ‘product/service of CARE’ for its expanded services to multiple regions in order to enable identification of products with eco sustainable characteristics that connect people to the living green that surrounds them. For details, link to Sunset Western Garden web site http://www.sunsetwesterngardencollection.com/.

     DuPont™ Tyvek® Water-Resistive Barriers - While Tyvek® water-resistive barriers should be installed according to manufacturer’s instructions, it more than meets industry standards and applicable codes. In fact, in high exposure installations, enhanced drainage and water management can be provided by using DuPont™ Tyvek® DrainWrap™ by installing a drainage mesh over the water-resistive barrier or by creating rain screen cladding with a larger airspace behind the siding using furring strips. If furring is installed over DuPont™ Tyvek® water-resistive barrier to create a rain screen, the primary fastener spacing can exceed 18”.

“Using a mineral wool insulation,” says Nea May Poole of Poole & Poole Architecture, LLC “an old-fashioned and more expensive type of insulation made from stone, not foam,  we also decided to chose an exterior siding similar to fiber cement, only it is made from wood; so, it made sense to go a step further and use a ‘house wrap’.”  For details of the Poole family barn restoration project, visit facebook group ‘the barn at Walnut Hill’ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1068830769911250/.

     LP Smartside, a wood based siding – Available in different sizes in smooth and textured finishes, LP SmartSide is identified to enhance the curb appeal of new and remodeled homes. Plus, it’s the perfect complement to homes finished in other exteriors such as stucco, stone and brick. Available in long lengths for fewer seams and a beautiful appearance, its rich cedar grain texture or smooth finish is treated with our SmartGuard® a process which resists termites and decay.

     “We are using LP Smartside, a wood based siding.” says Nea May Poole of Poole & Poole Architecture, LLC “The beige color in construction photos is a primer, not the final color. We intend to match the original color. We chose LP SmartSide because it is an engineered wood siding known to resist damage from impacts better than fiber cement and vinyl siding."

     Big Ass Fans residential line of fans – Available in different sizes in smooth and textured finishes, Haiku fans pair with the smart home tech you know and love, like the Amazon Alexa, Nest Learning Thermostat™ and ecobee3 thermostat. Available on indoor models only, Haiku L fan(s) are paired with a Haiku Wi-Fi Module to enable integrations. For details, visit web site https://www.haikuhome.com/ceiling-fans.

About Program Founder the Wright Scoop - In 2012, a program – Plants of CARE, which spotlights a plant for its ability to inspire people to CARE – have a perspective of conservation, advocacy, recovery and eco-efficiency - was launched. To further emphasize eco-sustainable commitment, in January of 2014 a program – Product and/or Services of CARE was also launched. Product/Services of Care and/or Plants of CARE program nominations are solicited and accepted. To participate, provide a description that identifies the nominated plant/product/service - its origin, picture, eco-sustainable characteristics, and specifically why this plant/product/service should be included in the program; and, if possible, provide plant/product/service material that can be tested.

Recognized by Landscape Architect magazine as an Industry ‘mover and shaker’, The Wright Scoop – Sylvia Hoehns Wright issued a challenge to move America’s landscape from eco-weak to eco-chic. Wright has blog for Build Green TV and provided speeches and workshops for national and international conferences such as the All Cities Congressional City Conference held in DC and PLANET’s Green Industry Conference held at Louisville, Kentucky. For details of her eco emphasis on ‘place’, review Eco-legacy – a millennium woman’s heritage; 'product', review Grow Green Market Share with CARE; and plants, link to Landscape Gardening with CARE video  https://youtu.be/ENPhCg9QQNc or visit Sylvia’s book store, http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/syhwright. For other details, visit web site www.TheWrightScoop.com .

Side Bar: Recommended Products and/or Services of CARE: 2014 - January, GoodGuide - www.goodguide.com, 2014 – April, Radius Garden – www.radiusgarden.com, 2015 – August, American Beauties™ - www.abnativeplants.com, 2015 – December,  WayCoolTools.com, 2016 February Sunset Western Garden Collection™-, 2017 DuPont™ Tyvek® Water-Resistive Barriers  LP Smartside, a wood based siding, 2018 Big Ass Fans residential line of fan

Side Bar: Product Details - Grow Green (planet & profit) Market Share with CARE

ISBN9781329308824, Copyright Sylvia Hoehns Wright (Standard Copyright License), Edition first edition, PublisherLuLu.com, Published July 2015, Language English

Naturalizing a Property with Bulbs

To naturalize is to encourage spreading of a plant as if it were native to the environment.  As a person who resides on family generational property, I am privileged to experience anew heirloom plants which naturalize our property.

One such plant of unique sustainability is the ‘Butter & Eggs’ daffodil.  Peter Barr, the great British daffodil collector, hybridizer and nurseryman of the late 1800’s mentions the ‘Butter & Eggs’ daffodil.

 

Barr states - "Of this there are at least two varieties differing in the colour of the flower, and the shade of green in the foliage. One appears to have come from a pure full yellow, the other from a Sulphur yellow, and for observation it is suggested that the yellow more generally gives the full rose-like flower, and the Sulphur the full cup of florets with the divisions of the perianth free as in the single. It is moreover suggested that from this latter the occasional single flowers come".

For those who do not have the privilege of hosting such a plant, it is available at web site http://www.heirloomdaffodils.com/cottage-garden-doubles.php .  Or, located in Gloucester Virginia, Brent Heath is a third generation bulb grower and co-owner with his wife, Becky, of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, a wholesale/retail mail-order flower bulb catalogue and web site business.

On their 10-acre garden and trial farm, they grow over 3000 cultivars and species of all types of bulbs in combination with annuals, perennials and ground covers. Specializing in combing bulbs with perennials, annuals, ground-covers and flowering shrubs, this site provides “three season gardens”.

 

To walk their private garden is to so-to-speak visit the space of a true master gardener. Brent, instructing me to step directly into his footprints to avoid crushing fragile natives, paused to explain the propagation process. “Basically,” he said, “I select two varieties that I believe will yield a viable plant, assist the pollination, and tag the plant.” When I questioned his patent process, I was amazed when he answered, “because of the process, a plant is rarely patented. For it takes up to seven years for the pollinated plant to yield a bloom and then, it must be perennialize in sufficient quantities for distribution.”

“Gardeners,” Brent said, “often unfairly give up on bulb plantings. At one time, everyone thought you had to let bulbs completely die back before you cut the leaves. It only takes about six to eight weeks for a bulb to pull from the leaves its nutrient value. Also, we mistakenly thought we had to divide plants every three or more years; when in fact, you only need to replenish the depleted nutrients to boost blooming. And, because the soil in my area is so sandy, I’ve found it works best to garden above ground - install a layer of compost, position the bulbs and then, cover the area with a generous depth of composted mulch.”

Although you may not experience naturalized heirloom plants or have an opportunity to visit a ‘master gardener’ site such as Brent’s private garden, don’t dismiss use of bulbs in your landscape. Visit a vendor site that provides ‘buy-local’ products based on generational pride. For, not only do these products contribute to your local economy, typically because of similar soil and site production conditions, they ensure a breath-taking display of blooming color. And, perhaps, if you are fortunate, you will experience sustainable plants which overtime naturalize contributing to the eco-health of your community.  

Plant Seed of Greatness, go green!

In recognition of the month of February as ‘national plant seeds of greatness month’, nation-wide during ‘green week’ we are challenged to ‘green’ our communities; but, what does the term green mean?

From a political viewpoint, ‘green’ advocates support or promote environmental protection; and from a product or service viewpoint, “made/provided with little environmental harm”: goods or services produced in an environmentally and ecologically friendly way, e.g. by using renewable resources. But are these definitions clearly understood or is it simply ‘green washing’, smoke and mirrors advertisement?

Regionally, I can barely pick up a newspaper, magazine or other form of media without seeing the word, green. I’m challenged by local TV and radio stations to ‘go green’; and in other forms of media, see ‘green’ advertisement range from food to cosmetics, landscape to building, clothing to home furnishings and even enticed to host ‘green’ weddings.

Nevertheless, when I visit other areas, I’ve noticed a difference – the lack of use of the word, green. So, what is the difference? “Sustainability,” says my eco colleague Ed Snodgrass of Knoll Farms, located in Street Maryland, “a form of ‘going green’ which means we don't take more out of the Earth than we are able to put back.” Recognized nationally as a ‘Green Roof a Man of the Year’, Snodgrass applies his philosophy, ‘don’t take more out of the Earth than we able to put back’, to all facets of his life. Dissimilar to Snodgrass, the average U.S.A citizen requires an ecological footprint of about 25 acres, meaning if everyone consumed similar to the average American, it would require several additional Earths to support their lifestyles.

Although it can be difficult to measure individual lifestyle choices, there are eco-footprint tools which determine individual impact. And, more importantly, using such a tool will not only identify individual status but where and how you presently fall short related to 'green’ lifestyle choices. Why should you care? An essential element of ‘green’ products or services is not simply the product or service, itself, but the units of energy used to produce as well as transport (access) it.

So, during the month of February as you are challenged to ‘plant seeds of greatness’ - apply the definition of ‘green’ to your lifestyle choices, make your goal to avoid the experience of ‘green washed’ products or services. Move your life-style from eco-weak to eco-chic!



Why? Individually and collectively, we can make a difference – influence the eco health of our urban suburban communities. For additional tips and strategies, visit web site TheWrightScoop.

Celebrate Green Week, plant seeds of greatness

From the Board room to class room, as recipient of the ‘Turning America from Eco-weak to Eco-chic’ award, I urge all to green-scape America’s landscape. Specifically, during National Green Week, inspire 'seeds of greatness' which enables a sustainability perspective of “waste not, and want not eco logical commitment.

National Green Week, a campaign which occurs during the first week in February every year in the United States, is a celebration of ‘green’ intended to teach school children about the three "R"s of the environment: recycling, reusing, and reducing waste. “By participating in National Green Week,” says eco colleague Victoria Waters, President and Founder of the Green Education Foundation, “students learn simple decisions such as the selection of waste-free snacks and drinks can combat monumental environmental problems.”

compliments of Lewis Ginter Gardens

 



An opportunity for community Board rooms to connect with school rooms, this year National Green Week kicks off February 1st.; nevertheless, you can choose any week from Feb. 1 through April 30 to participate. So, I encourage schools and groups alike to take this opportunity to spend time with students discussing sustainability topics and exploring ways they can make a difference. Suggested ‘green’ activities are available through the Green Education Foundation web site.

Initially, I have defined ‘green’ advocacy as a result of 3 Ps – place, plant and planting strategy; but, due to economic downturn, added ‘purchase’, buy-local. Nevertheless, after witnessing devastation created by storms such as Sandy, I’ve since placed emphasis on the ‘people factor’ with an outcome of 'green prosperity' for all. So, during National Green Week, I encourage everyone to focus on enabling ‘seeds of greatness’: activities which sustain eco-healthy urban suburban communities enable people to CARE – have a perspective of conservation, accountability, recovery and eco-efficiency.”

To learn more about eco activities visit web site TheWrightScoop or follow Twitter ID, Wright Scoop or Face-book group, The Wright Scoop.

Side Bar – Tips for Planting Seeds of Greatness
Hitch hike onto seasonal cycles.
Conduct a site analysis.
Develop a master landscape plan.
Create bio-diverse landscapes (blend of native and non-native plants).
Be water wise.
Create layered tree/shrub shelter.
Enable ‘critter’ and ‘people’ habitats.
Create an eco-chic landscape, a space that reflects a naturalist ‘waste not and want not’ perspective.