Buy Clean, Plant Clean – A Win-Win for the Gardener and the Ecosystem

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For Immediate Release: April 11th, 2016 Contact: Amy Collett acollett@tcweed.org Jackson, Wyoming – Making the decision to buy and plant native species means that you are also deciding not to buy or plant non-native, possibly even invasive species! Native plants are adapted to the combination of soil type, temperature, nutrients, and rain/snowfall of northwest Wyoming. Once established, they require very little such as: additional water, fertilizer, pesticides, or other chemicals. Even in planned landscapes around homes, commercial developments, or roadsides, native plants require fewer resources. The use of native plants in a garden or landscape can provide economic benefits by a reduction in energy costs, water, and maintenance; ecological benefits by enhancing ecosystem stability and reducing chemical use; and aesthetic benefits with the natural beauty native plants provide. Many of the invasive plant flowers are so pretty that they are commonly mistaken as an innocent wildflower. The more exotic plants we cultivate in our yards and gardens, the higher the chance of those plants escaping into the ecosystem and achieving invasive status.Preventing invasive species from being planted in the first place is the cheapest and most effective way to keep them out. So how do we do this? What can each and every one of us do to prevent invasive species from being planted here and moved from place to place? We can Buy Clean, Plant Clean!With positive action we can make a difference in preventing the spread. You can help Stop Invasive Species in Your Tracks by implementing four simple steps into your gardening routine:

  1. BUY native seed mixes and non-invasive plants, beware of phrases such as “spreads fast”
  2. PLANT certified trees and shrubs
  3. CLEAN equipment before entering & leaving a construction or revegetation site
  4. USE CERTIFIED hay

All of us can protect Teton County and Wyoming for future generations! Enjoy gardening this summer and remember to, Buy Clean, Plant Clean!

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