We love being part of the ‘green industry’ and we hope you do too.
To help keep our thumbs and footprints green, we take a number of steps each year to minimize waste, recycle more and educate our customers on how to do the same.
Re-Use
Composting is a great way to get the absolute most out of your garden. We have composters available in-store for sale (even ones that can live in your kitchen!), composting additive (to speed the process along) and can share with you steps to build your own. Should you not have a large yard though, please see the City of Chilliwack Yard Trimmings webpage for local yard trimming disposal options. Please note, diseased plants, walnut leaves and rhubarb leaves should NOT go on your compost pile.
Reduce
For several years now The City of Chilliwack has made October the month for waste reduction awareness, and we gladly participate in spreading the word! Signs that offer consumer options for re-using, reducing and recycling locally remain posted around the store year-round. For more information on the program, visit the City of Chilliwack’s website.
Fraser Valley Permaculture Guild (Gleaning): Don’t let your hard-earned garden harvest go to waste! “The Fraser Valley Permaculture Guild is an inclusive Association working on food security initiatives for the Fraser Valley. We are developing opportunities and programs to increase food production/accessibility and sustainability in the Fraser Valley.” (thevpga.ca) If you have more than you can handle in the garden and don’t want to see it go to waste, contact the Guild and discuss options for a glean! Click here for their site.
Recycle
The City of Chilliwack has an excellent curbside recycling program. Paper products, including cardboard plant flats and plastics pots marked with the recycling symbol, can be placed in curbside recycling. For more information, and for the location of the larger deposit bins, visit Emterra Environmental’s Website. For general information on Chilliwack’s broader recycling options, visit their Website
Garden pharmacy containers (i.e. pesticide, herbicide and insecticide containers) can be taken back to local Bottle Depots in Sardis and Chilliwack. To find one near you, visit The City of Chilliwack’s webpage.
Plastics Recycling Please follow your city/district guidelines for recycling used pots and flats. Plastics stamped with the appropriate triangle symbol are recyclable through Chilliwack’s curbside recycling.
Christmas Tree Chipping Partnering with RIM Tree Services and the Salvation Army Food Bank, we accept green or flocked, undecorated Christmas trees for chipping just after Christmas. Chipping is by donation (minimum two non-perishable food items please, and cash donations are gladly accepted). For the current year’s date and time, please visit our events page in December.
Educate
Each month we produce a gardening newsletter, the main feature of which is our list of the ‘Top 10 Things to Do in Your Garden’. Depending on the season it will include detailed steps on maximizing water efficiency, preventing plant issues that may later require the use of chemicals, promoting organic solutions (sometimes it’s elbow grease folks!) etc. To sign up, please click here.
Looking to learn more? We offer several free gardening seminars throughout the year dealing with everything from organic gardening to mole control, pruning to pond care.
Prevention is better than a cure and our educational sessions will help you learn what methods can be followed to grow a healthy, sustainable garden.