A Commitment to Sustainability
“Sage Garden has, from its outset, focused on sustainability as one of our founding principles. We want to make sure that we’re growing things in a way that’s healthy for ourselves as growers, for our employees, for the community, and for the world.”
Dave Hanson is the owner of Sage Garden Greenhouses, a greenhouse that carries organic herbs, exotics, heirloom vegetables, seeds, and perennials. The company uses 100% compost-based soil mixes- one of the only garden centers in the area to do so.
Organic Practices in Action
While they are not a certified organic facility, Hanson shares that his business practices follow organic guidance, and that this ecological conscientiousness guides most of their business decisions.
“It makes it easy for us to pass along our expertise as sustainably-minded gardeners, which I think is what most people are ultimately looking to do,” he confesses. “We all want to grow things, support pollinators, and be part of a green community.”
Practices followed by the company include no chemical fertilizers, using healthy pest management tactics, growing most plants on-site, making informed choices about sourcing soil, and limiting single-use plastics. They also ensure that the plants they cultivate that are meant to support pollinators are completely chemical-free, ensuring that there is no residual impact on the pollinators that visit these plants.
Holistic Gardening Approaches
“It’s a very holistic approach. Every gardening space is an ecosystem, and I think home gardeners are increasingly aware of that.”
He notes that, over the last handful of years, the sustainable gardening movement has led to many home gardeners becoming activists for larger scale issues, such as demanding that greenhouses cease using synthetic insecticides on milkweed plants- the only plant on which monarch butterflies can lay their eggs.
“Home gardeners have made a big difference in reestablishing the corridors of milkweed between Canada and Mexico. It’s exciting because people are creating tangible results, and it really expands our view of our larger ecosystem.”
Inspired by Childhood Gardens
Hanson recalls his strong memories of his mother’s garden, quite possibly his first encounter with sustainable gardening.
“She would always plant her front yard, because she wanted passersby to stop and ask her about the garden,” he shares. “Our mailman would always take the longest time to walk up our driveway to deliver the mail because there were so many flowers and herbs and little creatures to check out along the path. This was in the heart of Osborne Village- there weren’t a lot of front yard gardens, but my mom’s garden was where people would stop by and chat.”
He notes that there’s a sort of power in creating vibrant living spaces that are both sustainable and diverse, a power that instills curiosity and human interaction. Recently, many individuals and communities have embraced this idea of creating healthy, sustainably managed green spaces. Whether as home gardens or as public space, these areas help manage rainwater runoff and increase plant, insect, and animal biodiversity.
Advice for First-Time Gardeners
For first-time gardeners looking to take a more natural approach, Hanson recommends that you start simple.
“It’s easy to get excited in the era of social media where you can check out a gazillion Instagram posts about beautiful indoor herbs… but you don’t know where that person is posting from, or how realistic the posts are. So slow down, keep it simple, think about what conditions you have at home, and be realistic.”
Sustainable Holidays at Sage Garden
With the incoming holiday season, Sage Garden Greenhouses has once again veered away from the rather disposable trend of potted poinsettias. Instead, holiday favorites at this garden center include succulent sets, seed collections, frankincense plants, and indoor herbs like rosemary and allspice- familiar flavors for anyone roasting a turkey or whipping up holiday treats.
Beyond plants, seeds, pots, and tools, Sage Garden carries giftware like stationary, books, jewelry, and toys. They also offer Savvy Sage gift card packages- a definite fan favorite during the holidays.
Sage Garden is open year-round, and welcomes guests to come in anytime… even if it’s just to remind yourself that green things do grow in the dark depths of winter.
“We are very transparent about how we do everything, and we hope that we can pass along that information to help people have a successful organic gardening practice themselves.”
Sage Garden is open year-round at 3410 St. Mary’s Road in Winnipeg (pardon the construction), and always available online at www.sagegarden.ca.