Making the Grass Greener

Making the Grass Greener

Enhancing lives through the benefits of gardens and greenspaces

At scottsmiracle-Gro, altruism is woven into the very fabric of its DnA, both within the company culture and—arguably more importantly—within communities nationwide.

“As the largest marketer of lawn and garden products, we’re well-suited to help communities develop public gardens and greenspaces, and we’ve been doing that for a very long time,” says lindsay lasala, who manages relationships between local communities and the scotts miracle-Gro Foundation. “but even more so, we feel it’s our social responsibility to do so.”

In 2011, scottsmiracle-Gro made a move to be more strategic with its philanthropic programming with the launch of GRO1000. the program’s goal is to bring the life-enhancing benefits of community gardens and greenspaces to the neighborhoods that need them most by supporting the creation of 1,000 new public greenscapes. this year, the planting of the 1,000th garden will coincide with the company’s celebration of its 150th anniversary.

to participate in the program, nonprofit organizations apply for a grant, which provides the funding and resources to create a neighborhood garden or greenspace. Each year, the grant program receives about 1,000 applications. the GRO1000 team then vets all applications to determine which potential recipients meet the guidelines, which include maximizing community impact.

“Do the applicants reach an underserved population, or are they involving at-risk youth in the garden? Is it an edible garden that has a donation component? those are all important factors,” says lasala.

Field reFurbishment

“We’ve had nothing but a positive response from the community about the fields. It’s been an amazing experience, and we’re truly grateful to Scotts for giving us the opportunity to improve our complex and impact our small community.” —Tyler Cruze,

President, North

Snohomish Little

League in Seattle

“Our visiOn is tO help peOple express themselves On their Own piece Of the earth.” —Lindsay LaSala, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation What the GRO1000 team has experienced is that these community gardens are transforming neighborhoods across America. the gardens are bringing hope and possibility to underserved communities and providing basic needs, such as healthy food options and workbased training, to individuals who need it.

“our vision is to help people express themselves on their own piece of the Earth,” says lasala. “We see our job as working with these communities in need to help them turn their piece of the Earth—literally, their vacant lot or empty school field or abandoned space—into a thriving, beneficial community greenspace that will touch the lives of all those who experience it.”

these gardens spark social connectedness and often bring together people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to interact. Another important benefit of the program has been the impact it’s had on youth. GRO1000 is responsible for helping more than 250,000 children nationwide connect with nature and have meaningful gardening experiences, many for the very first time. by tapping into a child’s natural curiosity about the world around them, scottsmiracle-Gro hopes the gardens will become places where every child has the opportunity to learn, explore, imagine and grow.

the program’s milestone goal will be met with flying colors this year, and scottsmiracle-Gro can now boast a community garden in all 50 states. many of the gardens were created in food desert communities, where people have little to no immediate access to fresh, healthy food. since 2011, more than 560,550 pounds of produce have been donated annually from GRO1000 gardens, with 2.9 million meals going to the underserved. the program has also supported the creation of 125 pollinator habitats and revitalized more than 13 million square feet

1992 Scotts’ stock begins trading on NASDAQ at $19/share. 1993 PatchMaster combination seed, fertilizer and mulch makes reducing bald spots easier than ever.

the 1,000th GARden

of greenspace. the 1,000th garden reveal at Franklin Park Conservatory and botanical Gardens in may 2018 serves as the program’s culmination of eight years of communityimpacting work. newer to the brand’s philanthropic family is the Field Refurbishment Program, which began in 2016. the partnership between scottsmiracle-Gro, major league baseball and its professional baseball teams aims to give back to children and communities through the renovation of youth baseball and softball fields. sor of mlb in other ways and previously refurbished fields in cities where All-star Games have been played. Inspired by the many out any access to playable, modern fields, the Field Refurbishment Program is a structured approach to making a difference in this arena. The GRO1000 program and its achievements will be celebrated in May 2018, when the 1,000th garden will be revealed at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Aptly named The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden, it will be a 2-acre, stateof-the-art facility designed to help families and children reconnect with nature. Native elements from the state of Ohio and its history will be incorporated into the garden, such as native trees, a serpentine mound and more. The garden also includes an interactive creek, canopy walk and many more unique installations to encourage natural play for young children and families. The garden will be part of the Conservatory’s paid experience and open to children and

scottsmiracle-Gro has been a longtime sponchildren and communities across the u.s. withfamilies of all ages.

“GrASS iS A reMArkABle PlANT ANd iS A BiG PArT OF whAT MAkeS The lAwN A PlACe TO PlAy, live ANd exPerieNCe liFe.” —Josh Peoples, Vice President and General Manager, Lawns “Grass is a remarkable plant and is a big part of what makes the lawn a place to play, live and experience life,” says Josh Peoples, Vice President and General manager of the lawns division. “but it also is critical to America’s favorite pastime. When you think of baseball, you think of the field; you think of the smell of fresh-cut grass. our field refurbishments are our way of making sure that families and fans across the country have a place to play this great game and, most importantly, enjoy some quality time outdoors.”

Participants are selected through a search for underserved communities with high-use, or potentially high-use, fields that could benefit from restoration. once selected, the scotts team takes care of the whole process, from soil to sod. eleven fields have been refurbished in the first two years of the program.

In 2018, the program shifted to a grantbased application process that will select five

1995 Scotts merges with Stern’s Miracle-Gro Products, which was founded in 1951, becoming a national leader not only in lawn care, but in gardening as well. 1995 Scotts stock begins trading on NYSE.

GRO1000

“My favorite part of the experience was seeing the children’s interactions with the garden: savoring the food they grew, learning how to cook it and experiencing the eureka moment of growing their own food.” —Elsi Rose,

Development and Capital Management Coordinator in Sustainable Planning for the city of

Miramar, Florida youth baseball or softball fields around the country in need of renovations. each field was awarded a grant of up to $50,000, and each refurbishment will include an infield makeover complete with sod and dirt, as well as possible improvements to the pitcher’s mound, home plate, batters’ boxes, bases and anchors, fencing or backstop, and scoreboard. All field work began in march, with unveilings in time for the sports season this spring.

the need for this program in communities across the country is clear: Getting outside, playing organized and recreational sports and participating in skills competitions is beneficial to children’s growth, according to Peoples.

“Kids need to be kids; running, jumping, building, climbing and just hanging out and playing outside, the one place a kid can be a kid,” he adds. “the environmental and social benefits of gardens and greenspaces have long been known. our Field Refurbishment Program offers positive benefits to kids, including having a safe place in the community to hang out and encouraging an active lifestyle.” m

2018 initiAtives

Children and community are two large reasons why both the GRO1000 and Field Refurbishment programs exist; therefore, they are the focus for both programs’ future initiatives. At the 1,000th garden reveal in may 2018, the scottsmiracle-Gro leadership will announce the next iteration of the company’s community gardening outreach initiative. this new initiative will be partially based on insights learned from the last eight years of GRO1000 and will be focused largely on connecting children to the benefits of gardens.

Future initiatives for the Field Refurbishment Program are similar in that children are the core focus. the 2018 grant program is different from years past in that it awards five grants, up to $50,000 each, for youth baseball fields in need of renovations. A panel of judges—including World series Champion David Ross and Cal Ripken Jr., as well as leadership from scottsmiracle-Gro and major league baseball— helped determine four of the five grant recipients. the fifth grantee was decided by a fan vote on social media. Field upgrades and repairs for the five grant recipients began in march 2018, with unveilings later this spring.

1997 More durable plastic packaging replaces old paper varieties. 1998 A partnership with the Monsanto Company brings key biotechnologies, including Monsanto’s extensive genetic library, into Scotts’ arsenal of information.