New Jersey landscapers and nurseries are promoting a new campaign this spring called, "Plant Something" to put more of the "garden" in the Garden State. 

A state landscaper's association is supporting the 'Plant Something' initiative in the Garden State. (Jupiterimages, ThinkStock)
A state landscaper's association is supporting the 'Plant Something' initiative in the Garden State. (Jupiterimages, ThinkStock)
loading...

Dominick Mondi, executive director of the New Jersey Nursey & Landscape Association says sure, your place will look prettier but there are other reasons to plant things around your home.

"There's a lot of aesthetic benefits. But there's so much more to it than that," he said.

Mondi said thanks to a grant from the USDA, this is first year the state has had the opportunity to really roll out the "Plant Something" initiative here in New Jersey.

"It is a national campaign. It is in 20 states right now," Mondi said.

One of the interesting things about New Jersey is how diverse our landscapes are, Mondi said.

"From High Point to Cape May, we change dramatically in soils and temperature and everything else," he said.

Mondi said spring, as most people know, is the ideal time to start planting.And as we all know, spring is for planting.

"People come out of the winter, they are excited to get outside," Mondi said. "By sales and volume the busiest time of the year for retail garden centers, nursery growers and landscape professionals."

By the numbers, nurseries and landscapers in New Jersey are business. There are almost 1,300 nurseries, greenhouses, floriculture and sod farms in New Jersey, responsible for more than $400 million in annual sales. And the month of May is the high point of the year.

Mondi said studies have shown that percveived home values can increase between 5 and 11 percent for a nicely-landscaped and planted property.

"The Wall Street Journal has said that a house with nice trees can add the same value as putting on 100 square feet of living space," Mondi said, adding that there are also energy saving benefits, environmental benefits and ecological benefits.

The New Jersey Nursery & Landscape Association has built an informational website, plantsomethingnj.org, for residents to learn, research and find professionals. Mondi said they are a few months into the launch of the website.

"We have fact sheets from Rutgers University Extension posted on there, as well as information from other sources," he said.

More From WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM