Survey: America's lawns could be much 'greener'

National Gardening Association’s 2008 Environmental Lawn and Garden Survey asked consumers, “How environmentally friendly do you think are the practices currently used to maintain residential, commercial and municipal lawns and landscapes?”

NGA discovered that only one out of five respondents (21 percent) gave current lawn and landscape practices a passing “green” grade. The association used an Eco-Scorecard to learn which environmentally friendly practices those surveyed plan to use at home.

“The fact that only two out of 12 environmentally friendly lawn, garden and landscape practices on the Eco-Scorecard are followed by the majority of households with a yard or garden indicates there’s a real need for improvement in people’s appreciation for the impact each of us can have on the environment in our own backyards,” said Mike Metallo, NGA president.

The two practices cited by a majority of respondents were: “Water lawn and plants only when they need it -- use water wisely” (63 percent) and “Keep yards safe, clean and well maintained to add beauty to homes and neighborhoods” (56 percent).

Also, most homeowners admitted they’re not familiar with eco-friendly practices. Forty percent said they’re “somewhat knowledgeable” about green tactics followed by 22 percent who are “not very knowledgeable” and 8 percent who are “not at all knowledgeable.”

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For more: National Gardening Association, (802) 863-5251; www.garden.org.

August 2008