• All plant debris generated in our gardens and Greenhouse Facility are sent to a composting facility rather than a landfill. 
  • Drip irrigation lines are installed in hanging baskets throughout the gardens and in the Greenhouse Facility to use water more effectively. 
  • An in-ground irrigation system that is connected to a weather station that monitors environmental conditions such as humidity, air temperature, and precipitation. This enables the system to adjust the amount of water necessary for a given area protecting plant health and conserving water. 
  • Our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program uses environmentally sensible methods to prevent pests from damaging plants in the gardens and Greenhouse Facility These methods include monitoring insect populations, the use of non-toxic insecticide when appropriate, and the release of beneficial insects help to control many garden insect pests. 
  • Only organic fertilizers are applied to the lawns around the museums. Compost tea applications are used to enrich the planting beds at the National Museum of the American Indian and in the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden.