Think a bit before buying that rose on V-Day

That's the lesson I learned after reading this Audubon Magazine article on how many pesticides are used in growing roses, both here and in Central America. (this is a shortened version of the article that PLU prof. Chuck Bergman agreed to let us trim from the original. The longer version included in a link.)

And if you think it doesn't matter to the critters and birds here, well, in case of the birds, it does. According to this article, pesticide use in Central American kills 67 million birds a year that migrate south. A year. So if your bird feeder seems a bit lonely this spring, that might be why.

I'm all for spending a bit more extra $$ and buying the organic rose tomorrow.

Photo by Jordan Hartman, PLU Photographer (which is where I work (:)