Feb 9, 2022

Valentine’s Day is almost here. The tried-and-true gifts are chocolate, cards, and flowers. Why not give these gifts with a slight alternative?

• Ever wonder how the cacao for your chocolate is grown and harvested? Choose chocolate that is sustainably produced and where the farmers are given fair pay. Look for the seal of third-party certifiers.
• Choose flowers without a floral foam holder. These foam holders are crumbly plastic and end up in waterways and eventually in our drinking water. Also, choose cut flowers that were grown locally (in hothouses in our case) and not transported miles away. Better still, give a locally grown plant which will last longer.
• Instead of choosing a card from your local grocery store for your sweetheart, why not give a card made of paper with seeds? You can plant the card when the ground is ready and see what blooms.

Speaking of blooms. . . Yes, yes, I know we’re still in the cold and snow of winter, but we can still plan for spring planting. Some of us even remember the time when we anticipated getting the seed catalogue in the mail.

• Choose seeds and seedlings that are native to our area.
• If possible, avoid buying seedlings that come in the disposable plastic containers.
• Volunteer to grow vegetables in Countryside’s vegetable garden.