Planting an organic garden is only half of the equation to green gardening. Using “green” tools and methods is the other half. Whether you have a large backyard garden, take part in a community garden, have a balcony planter, or decide to use pots, it doesn’t much matter—watching your planted seeds grow into vegetables, herbs, or flowers can be a ton of fun. Growing and maintaining an organic garden takes a bit of planning and mindful attention to the other things that go into it. Making your garden or planter “green” by using eco-friendly tools and approaches helps to maintain that organic standard you started with.
SPEAR & JACKSON—Stainless Steel Soil Scoop
Digging soil for planting should be easy and comfortable in all settings, so having a versatile tool is important. A deep-well soil scoop, like the Spear & Jackson version, can hold more soil, making your planting process faster and easier. It also has a polished finish that not only helps to protect the scoop from rust but also reduces soil adhesion, allowing for less mess and easier cleaning. The handle is made from hardwood, which increases its strength and durability—it’s a tool that will last. When ordering from Kind Humans, you can rest assured that your soil scoop will arrive in responsible post-consumer recycled packaging. Kind Humans is also 1% for the Planet, net zero, and a Certified B Corp. kindhumans.com
OLA BAMBOO—Garden Tools
If stainless steel isn’t your jam, consider bamboo—a very strong and sustainable material that is biodegradable at the end of its life. Did you know that bamboo can be grown in both Canada and the US—crazy, right? This garden scoop and rake combo is made from natural bamboo grown and cultivated without pesticides or insecticides and doesn’t contain melamine formaldehyde. Each tool is also lightweight (which makes gardening a breeze—even for the kiddos who want to help) and stylishly engraved, providing a superior grip. The soil scoop is marked with soil depth measurements, making planting as easy as 1, 2, 3. olabamboo.com
BOTANICAL PAPERWORKS—Printed/Printable Seed Paper
Imagine burying your used wedding invitations, thank-you cards, or other seed paper stationary in a planter or your outdoor garden and having carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, or a variety of pollinator plants spring up in their place—a very eco-friendly way to seed your garden. Botanical Paperworks manufactures biodegradable eco-paper made from post-consumer/industrial waste paper and embeds them with seeds. Once planted, the seeds grow and the paper composts. Botanical Paperworks even uses eco-friendly inks in their stationary products, so no harmful chemicals leech into your soil. Pictured here are organic varieties of carrots, tomatoes, and lettuce (many other veggies, herbs, and flowers are available). botanicalpaperworks.com
ECOFORMS—Nova 12
If you’re planting your favourite veggies, herbs, or flowers in pots, you’ll want to use ones that are eco-friendly instead of plastic. The idea is to use a vessel that doesn’t contaminate the soil where the plants are growing. Made from rice hulls, and bound with starch-based binding agents that are water soluble and biodegradable, EcoForms uses heat, pressure, and a very small amount of water to form their pots. Scraps left behind from the manufacturing process are all recycled, making their process zero waste. EcoForms pots can be used both indoors and outside. ecoforms.com
WEST COAST SEEDS—Certified Organic Seeds
Planting your own garden can be a way to grow food responsibly. The best place to start is with high-quality, certified organic seeds that are non-GMO and chemical-free. West Coast Seeds has over 1,100 varieties of seeds to choose from to outfit your indoor or outdoor garden. If you’re unsure of what to plant, where, and in what quantity, West Coast Seeds’ helpful staff can answer just about any organic gardening question you may have—they love to educate. westcoastseeds.com
WATSON GLOVES—329 Jade
Every gardener needs a great pair of gloves. The Watson 329 Jade is rugged and ergonomically formed to help reduce hand fatigue, while the wrists provide a snug fit to prevent dirt and debris from getting into the glove (we’ve all had that happen). Made from 15gg landfill biodegradable ZeroWaste™, these gloves will biodegrade in 5–10 years without leaving microplastics in the soil—unlike regular gardening gloves that take between 50 and 200 years to break down. The glove's fingers are equipped with touch sensitivity so that you can use your smartphone without taking them off. Comes in sizes XS, S, M, L. watsongloves.com
