Sometimes it seems that negativity surrounds us. News outlets consistently report on the number of shootings the previous 24 hours, online posts glorify what in the past would have been considered by some inappropriate behavior and forecasters doom and gloom with respect to the weather and inflation. As humans our behavior tends to lead us to complain more than we express our gratitude. With all of this pessimism it is immensely gratifying to know that there is a group that works incredibly hard to support creativity and innovation as it relates to environmental, social and economic issues. The National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture (NICH) was expressly founded to assist in as they state āGrow a healthy world through the art, science and business of plants, gardens and landscapes.ā They actively encourage every household to participate to the extent possible in consumer horticulture. Dr. Natalie Bumgarner, Board member and Chair for NICH has agreed to help our readers understand the resources available to them through this fantastic organization.
Why do you think it is important for our readers to know about NICH?
The message that we would like to share with gardeners and plant people around the country is that plants make our lives and world better in so many ways. Many of your readers know this very well. In fact, the huge interest in plants and gardening during the pandemic proved or confirmed for many that plants can provide food but also exercise, stress reduction, and so much more. Those real life human and accompanying environmental benefits are what we want to share with the broader consumer audience so they understand how important plants are to where they live, work, and play even if donāt see themselves as gardeners. The other important part of the goal and mission of NICH is to help gardeners understand how much research and investment goes into the plants, landscapes, gardens, and greenspaces that they enjoy. We want to help consumers understand the real-life people and businesses that make up the horticulture industry and how important their role is as customers in keeping the horticulture industry strong. We want to encourage consumers to value their nursery growers, greenhouse growers and garden centers as key contributors to healthy people and communities.
Can you please help us to understand the term consumer horticulture?
The definition we commonly use is that āConsumer horticulture is the cultivation, use, and enjoyment of plants, gardens, landscapes to the benefit of individuals, communities, and the environment.ā We usually think of horticulture as a commercial venture consisting mainly of companies that grow plants for sale. So, we use the term consumer horticulture to denote that those who participate in horticulture are really everyone who manages their lawn or landscape, grows food at home, has indoor plants, as well as those who use and enjoy green spaces in their communities. This world of horticulture is built on a commercial industry, but it is so much broader because it includes all of us who interact with plants.
What benefits may homeowners realize as they become more involved with consumer horticulture?
One of our main efforts at NICH is to help folks see and connect with the benefits of plants that we take for granted or didnāt even realize. These benefits can be physical in terms of the exercise that working with plants in our lawns, landscapes and gardens can provide. They can also be psychological because engaging with nature and nurturing growing things can lower our stress, help us focus, and even improve performance at work or at school. And, then there are the many benefits for our environment. In a world that is rapidly becoming more urban, sustainable practices that support plants and soil in a residential space can be very impactful when multiplied across all of those small footprints. Together, our lawn and garden practices can protect water quality, build soil, and support wildlife habitat. These many benefits for ourselves and others are the focus of the many educational resources and materials our NICH teams have developed.
The NICH has a campaign titled #plantsdothat. Can you please tell us a bit more about the campaign? What has research shown that plants actually do?
Our #plantsdothat campaign was one of our first efforts to connect the many real-life benefits of plants and horticulture. In an appealing and easy to access series of graphics, the #plantsdothat campaign illustrates how plants and horticulture benefit home values, the livability of cities, microclimates, employment opportunities, economies and so much more. The heart of the message is that plants are a benefit to us throughout our lives- where we live, where we work, where we learn, where we shop and where we play.
consumerhort.org/plantsdothat-3/
What is the NICH Consumer toolbox? How may our readers access it?
This toolbox is a resource developed by some of our great team to support homeowners in answering common horticulture questions and being connected to great research-based resources to address their questions and needs. It can be accessed on our website at:
consumerhort.org/consumer-tool-box/
What other resources are available through your organization?
Our NICH goal is to communicate great research-based information that connects consumers and the horticulture industry. We have several types of resources that showcase the benefits of plants and the key role and impact of the horticulture industry. The #plantsdothat series of infographics is a great example. Other resources are a series of Extension publications that showcase the benefits of consumer horticulture. We also have several social media platforms with fun content telling the story of this plant and people connection.
consumerhort.org/benefits-of-consumer-horticulture/
www.facebook.com/consumerhort/
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., and a landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
