ScottsMiracle-Gro Celebrates First Day of Spring with Grants for Community Gardens, Greenspaces and Pollinator Habitats

MARYSVILLE, Ohio, March 21, 2016 -- To mark the first day of spring and celebrate the start of the gardening season, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG) today announced the recipients of the 2016 GRO1000 Grassroots Grants. More than 100 grants were awarded to civic and non-profit organizations nationwide to develop or improve pollinator habitats, community gardens and greenspaces.

In its sixth year, the GRO1000 Grassroots Grants are a part of the company’s commitment to support the creation of more than 1,000 community gardens and greenspaces in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe by 2018, which aligns with its 150^th anniversary.

This year’s program coincides with “The Pollinator Promise,” ScottsMiracle-Gro’s yearlong program to promote the creation of habitats where bees, butterflies and other pollinators can thrive and to improve consumer education about the importance of pollinators. As part of that effort, 65 of the organizations receiving GRO1000 Grassroots Grants funding will establish pollinator gardens. For more information on “The Pollinator Promise” and to learn how to create a pollinator garden, visit www.scottsmiraclegro.com/PollinatorPromise.

“Since 2011, we have seen the GRO1000 program transform hundreds of communities across the country,” said Jim King, senior vice president of corporate affairs at ScottsMiracle-Gro. “We are honored to support this year’s deserving organizations and help our planet’s pollinators by increasing the number of habitats on which they rely.”

GRO1000 funds have supported local urban agriculture projects, beautification, public service opportunities and produce donations in more than 700 community organizations and dozens of major cities across the U.S., Canada and Europe since 2011. Projects have resulted in more than 1,614,148 sq. ft. of greenspace restored, more than 265,900 pounds of produce donated annually and more than 50,800 youth positively impacted, according to data collected from previous GRO1000 Grassroots Grants recipients. A full list of this year’s recipients can be found at www.GRO1000.com.

In addition to the Grassroots Grants, ScottsMiracle-Gro and its national partners, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Plant A Row for the Hungry, the Garden Writers Association Foundation, KidsGardening.org, and Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, will build public community gardens and greenspaces in Atlanta, New York, St. Louis, and Providence in 2016. More information on the GRO1000 program can be found at www.GRO1000.com.

About ScottsMiracle-Gro

With approximately $3 billion in worldwide sales, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts®, Miracle-Gro® and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup® brand, which is exclusively marketed near worldwide by Scotts and owned by Monsanto.  In Europe, the Company's brands include Weedol®, Pathclear®, Evergreen®, Levington®, Miracle-Gro®, KB®, Fertiligène® and Substral®.  In 2015, the Company ranked on Forbes 100 Most Reputable Companies in America. For additional information, visit us at www.scottsmiraclegro.com.

Contact:
Molly Jennings
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
937-681-7683 (desk)
561-350-5734 (mobile)
[email protected]

Janelle Huelsman
Fahlgren Mortine
614-383-1627 (office)
419-953-8609 (mobile)
[email protected]