Our initiatives to be “green” like our plants

Global warming, pollution and green initiatives are all extremely important topics in our society. It’s essential for everyone to do their part to reduce their ecological footprint and protect our beautiful planet.

At Le Migrateur Garden Centre, we specialize in the production of annual plants. Plants are good for the environment because they transform carbon dioxide into oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. So, at the very heart of our business, is the promotion of a healthy environment and a healthy planet. Our business has also made certain choices that enable us to be even greener—green like our plants!

Our actions to protect the environment include the way we heat our production complex, the fact that we use practically no heavy transport and the recycling and reuse of our containers.

Our heating system

First, we heat our entire production complex with an outdoor wood boiler. 

How does a wood boiler work?

The wood boiler heating system consists of putting wood in the boiler and then starting a fire inside it. The fire then heats the water inside the boiler. The water is then pumped through pipes that circulate through blower radiators in our greenhouses, thereby heating them.

Heating with wood is an environmentally friendly option for several reasons:

1. Carbon neutral: As mentioned in the introduction, plants and trees absorb CO2 from the air and change it into oxygen. So, when wood is burned, yes, CO2 is released, but the amount emitted is equivalent to the amount the tree has absorbed over its lifetime. That’s why heating with wood can be considered carbon neutral.

   
   

2. Local energy sources: Heating with wood allows us to use local energy sources, in this case local wood. In fact, our wood supplier is a local sawmill that gives us the wood it can’t use to make construction materials.  

Furthermore, the wood we use to heat our greenhouses comes from selective cutting. This means that the wood we use comes from trees that had to be cut down and whose wood could not be used for anything other than heating.

In addition to using an energy source that is considered environmentally friendly, we try to limit the heating of our greenhouses as much as possible. Actually, our production process is designed to maximize the space we use. For example, once the cuttings have taken root, we transplant them into individual pots and 6-packs to enable them to continue growing in larger containers, without immediately making our arrangements (hanging baskets, patio pots, etc.), which take up much more space. Thanks to this technique, we can delay the opening of some greenhouses until mid-March, which means considerable energy savings. For more information on our production process, see our article Le Migrateur Garden Centre: A True Local Business.

Local Grower

We are 100% grower of the annual plants we sell, and our suppliers of perennial bulbs and shrubs are Canadian. Except for unrooted cuttings from Guatemala and Mexico, everything is produced right here in Canada. 

Unlike other garden centres, which receive deliveries from their suppliers almost every week, we don’t receive deliveries throughout our selling season, since everything is grown on site. This means that our use of large-scale transport (planes, trucks, etc.) is very limited or almost non-existent.

So, by being a true local business and growing our plants in the same place where they are sold, we reduce our ecological footprint.

We recycle!

Another advantage of being a 100% grower is that we can reuse our containers year after year. In fact, we offer our customers the possibility of returning the containers once they’ve planted their flowers and vegetables. We sort the containers in the fall and reuse them for the next production season. So, we help you dispose of these containers responsibly and give them a second life by reusing them!

In conclusion, we take the health of our planet and our community at heart. Working in horticulture allows us to contribute to the greening of our beautiful region and thus promote a healthy environment. As a local business, we’re also keen to do our part for the environment by using an eco-friendly heating system, limiting the use of heavy transport and recycling our containers.

How can you go green when planning your garden and flower beds?

Choose to buy your flowers and vegetable plants from a local business that grows its own plants and cares about the health of our planet. Choose Le Migrateur Garden Centre! 

3431 Route Régionale 174, Cumberland (Ontario)