This Earth Day, April 22, Diane Lampert of Bringing the Greenback wants to give you a tree.
Lampert, who founded Bringing the Greenback to bring her passion for beautiful and environmentally responsible gardening to others, is a Master Gardener with credentials from the University of Connecticut, as well as business degrees from Hofstra University and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
“Inspirational, low-maintenance gardens are in our company’s DNA,” Lampert says. “We are giving away native trees to help bring some green back to our communities and to inspire our neighbors.” Lampert came up with the tree giveaway to raise awareness of the importance of native plants and environmentally responsible gardening for Earth Day.
A little history: Earth Day originated in 1970, when a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA inspired a group of concerned citizens to voice concerns about the environment. Led by Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson and representative Pete McCloskey of California, a group of concerned citizens gathered to advocate for limits on pollution and responsible stewardship of the limited natural resources we all share.
Leaded gasoline and automobile emissions, overuse of unsafe pesticides and other chemicals, and pollution from industrial manufacturing were the primary concerns identified back then. Rachel Carson’s 1962 bestseller Silent Spring, which had investigated these concerns, was a defining text of the nascent environmentalist movement.
Flash forward to the present day and many of those ideas are mainstream. Now, Lampert says she likes the idea of bringing Earth Day home in a concrete way – with a tree you can plant in your garden.
“We did lots of research,” she says, to choose the right plants for the occasion. “We chose white spruce and Douglas fir.” Why? Those are both native plants, which will thrive in local soil conditions and be hardy to local winters.
There’s another reason why white spruce fit into Lampert’s vision, too. Recognizing that many are renting in the area after leaving the city during the pandemic, she explains: “White spruce does just as well in a container as it does in the ground. What that means is that if you’re renting and, you can’t plant the tree in your yard, you can have it in a container on your patio for the summer.” When summer ends, she says, you can either take it with you, container and all, or gift it to someone who can put it in the ground where it will thrive.
In the meantime, “You can literally ‘spruce up’ your environment,” says Lambert with a laugh.
You also have the option to sponsor a tree. “We have one family who couldn’t attend the event or take a tree, but who sponsored four trees, with a donation of $25 per tree.”
And, on Earth Day at 10:00 am, Lampert will be conducting a class on how to plant the tree. “We don’t want to just give people a tree and send them home,” she laughs. “We’ll show them how it’s done.” Lampert says the class will provide attendees with step-by-step instructions to get the best results and help their new tree thrive.
While discussions of environmental activism in the big picture can become overwhelming, Lampert says focusing on hands-on, concrete changes and starting small are the key. “We hope this will inspire you to make a difference.”
Asked if she has any advice for gardeners, Lampert says: “Don’t feel the pressure to be one hundred percent organic immediately.”
“People put so much pressure on themselves,” she continues. “They’ll come to me asking, ‘what do I have to do to go entirely organic, or to become entirely native with my garden?’ I tell them a better question is this: If I put one native plant in, what do I win? The answer is, ‘time.’ You will save so much time, because native plants are easier to take care of than non-native plants. So if you switch to one native plant, you’ll be rewarded with hours of free time to enjoy it,” she explains.
Lampert also says you’ll find yourself revising your list of things you need for weeding. “What are the top three things you need for weeding? Plants to replace the weeds, a good shovel, and Advil,” Lampert jokes. “But if you focus on native plants, you just need good soil… and maybe an Arnold Palmer and a lounge chair. It’s just that much easier.”
If that sounds like a summertime plan you’d like to sign up for, Bringing the Greenback has a wealth of information available about native plants and sustainable gardening. As for Earth Day 2021, tree supplies are limited; to claim your tree, register through Bringing the Greenback’s website at www.mygreenback.com
