Each fall, The Home Depot releases its annual list of the most innovative products to hit its shelves, both in-store and online. Each year, in conjunction with these Innovation Awards, The Home Depot honors suppliers in several other categories, including the Environmental Partner of the Year. This year, that prestigious title went to Bell Nursery for its commitment to growing sustainable live goods for The Home Depot’s Garden Centers.
Growing sustainably for The Home Depot has been Bell Nursery’s business since 1995.
The Elkridge, Maryland-based grower produces and ships more than 100 million locally grown annuals, perennials, shrubs and – during the holidays – poinsettias each year to hundreds of The Home Depot stores.
“Bell Nursery has been an exclusive partner of The Home Depot since 1995. In that time, they’ve experienced tremendous growth, yet their culture has remained consistent. They’ve always been on the leading edge of our suppliers, and they continue to be a model for environmental stewardship and sustainable horticulture. That’s something to be proud of.”
Dan Stuppiello, The Home Depot Divisional Merchandise Manager for Live Goods
Locally sourced, environmentally conscious nurseries like Bell Nursery use sustainable practices to grow hardy plants that don’t have to travel far to reach your home garden. “The Home Depot has always been encouraging us to pursue sustainable initiatives,” says Brett Guthrie, Chief Operating Officer of Bell Nursery. To understand what it means to grow sustainably, consider the many Eco Actions that have helped earn Bell Nursery the title of 2022 Environmental Partner of the Year.
- Bell Nursery practices local sourcing, a practice that applies to the poinsettias that can be seen in stores over the holidays. The poinsettias don’t take a long time to get to local The Home Depot stores. They travel no more than 50 miles to regional distribution centers where they are shared with local stores in less than 24 hours.
- Using cutting-edge growing practices earned Bell Nursery the gold standard in floriculture and horticulture: a ‘Veriflora Sustainably Grown’ certification. This huge milestone means they meet or exceed benchmarks for sustainable crop production, product quality, employee health and safety, ecosystem protection and product purity.
- Another turning point came in 2014 when Bell Nursery began growing plants without neonicotinoids, or neonics. They became one of the first growers to do so for The Home Depot. Now, 98 percent of plants sold by The Home Depot are free of neonics.
- The nursery also does its part for the environment by using wind power and recycling more than a half-million pounds of cardboard and plastic.
“We hope customers will understand that when they buy a Bell-grown plant, they are getting a product that was produced thoughtfully and with our communities in mind.”
Brett Guthrie, Chief Operating Officer of Bell Nursery
Bell Nursery is the latest supplier to be named Environmental Partner of the Year.
They join the ranks of innovative and sustainable leaders like Nike Grind and TTI. The Home Depot is proud to partner with suppliers like Bell Nursery, who are modeling industry responsibility. For over a decade, Bell has produced Veriflora Sustainably Grown plants that meet or exceed standards for sustainable production, ecosystem protection, responsible agrochemical use, product purity and community engagement.
Shop Bell Nursery plants at homedepot.com.
