Costa Farms' O2 for You & Miracle-Gro Partner to Improve Indoor Air Quality with Houseplants

MIAMI, Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Costa Farms' 'O2 for you: Houseplants with a purpose' program and Miracle-Gro® are teaming up to 'take care of the plants that take care of you'™.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110119/CL30503LOGO )

Costa Farms' O2 for you program in partnership with Miracle-Gro will build consumer awareness of improving indoor air quality with healthy indoor houseplants.  Costa Farms, the world's largest provider of indoor houseplants, and Miracle-Gro, the most trusted name in gardening, want people to be successful growing plants indoors.

Since its 2008 inception, Costa Farms' O2 for you program has grown from a public service campaign to national exposure on Good Morning America in 2010.

"We believe the 02 for You message about improving indoor air quality with houseplants is a simple way people can bring green inside," said Tom McLoughlin, vice president, gardens marketing at ScottsMiracle-Gro. "Miracle-Gro products make growing strong and healthy houseplants easy. This partnership links two great brands with a common purpose – people benefiting from improved indoor environments."

Costa Farm's partnership with non-profits and corporations is helping to spread the word that indoor houseplants clean the air of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), remove CO2 and provide oxygen, and improve indoor air quality.

"We're excited that the healthy benefits of indoor houseplants are catching on through our O2 for you program," said Jose Smith, president & CEO of Costa Farms. "And one of the best ways to grow strong and vigorous indoor houseplants is to feed them."

The partnership entails sharing online content, website links and point of purchase materials that will help educate consumers on the benefits of indoor houseplants.

"This is a perfect partnership to help educate consumers on the benefits of indoor houseplants which help clean the air and improve lives," said Smith.

For more information visit: www.O2foryou.org and www.miraclegro.com.

 About Costa Farms: Costa Farms is the largest producer of indoor houseplants in the world.  Founded in 1961 by Jose Costa, Costa Farms is a third generation, family owned business that globally stretches over 3,500 acres and employs 2,800 people.  Along with thriving indoor and bedding plant divisions, Costa Farms operations are located in South Florida and North Carolina, and abroad in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Far East.

About ScottsMiracle-Gro:

With $3.14 billion in worldwide sales and approximately 8,000 associates, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company LLC, 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 marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In the U.S., the Company operates Scotts LawnService®, the second largest residential lawn care service business.  In Europe, the Company's brands include Weedol®, Pathclear®, Evergreen®, Levington®, Miracle-Gro®, KB®, Fertiligene® and Substral®. For additional information, visit us at www.scotts.com

SOURCE ScottsMiracle-Gro