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The nursery and garden industry has joined with the Australian Government in the fight against invasive garden plants. In championing this initiative, Nursery and Garden Industry Australia (NGIA) is taking a significant step forward in tackling one of the nation’s most serious environmental problems – the spread of weeds.

The Grow Me Instead campaign is one industry-driven initiative providing relevant local information to nursery operators and gardeners about plants which are potential weeds in their area and less invasive plants for gardeners to use. This cooperation between the horticulture and nursery industries, the Australian Government and weed management bodies will help ensure horticulturalists and gardeners receive the information they need to combat the spread of weeds. A Grow Me Instead Booklet will be developed for each state and territory as part of this initiative. The Nursery & Garden Industry is actively participating in lessening the availability of invasive plants in Australia by preventing their production and sale.

Greater awareness and education of the home gardener is the answer. By using the information that the Grow Me Instead program provides as a guide and by consulting with your local garden centre or plant nursery, you can help to minimise garden escapes and create a better environmental future for following generations of gardeners.