Green Options

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Editor’s note: While many will argue that there’s no such thing as an “eco-friendly lawn” (with justification), the grass covered yard is still a staple of most homes. Today, our friends at Low Impact Living have some tips for “greening” your lawn… while keeping it green. This post was originally published on May 7, 2008.

Summer is just around the corner, and this is the time of year when we really ramp up our lawn activities– watering, fertilizing, mowing, etc. And all of these can have major negative environmental consequences. Did you know that over 50 million Americans mow their lawns each weekend, and contribute as much as 5% of the country’s air pollution? And it’s staggering to realize that the average American grassy lawn can use over 20,000 gallons of water each summer! So, a major part of any green home strategy should be to embrace eco-friendly lawn and garden care.

Here are 12 ways you can make sure you have an eco-friendly lawn this summer

1. Collect rain water and use it for your plants. Getting a rain barrel or two for your yard is a simple way to collect and reuse Mother Nature’s water. Just put it under your gutter’s down spout and you’ll be amazed how fast it fills up. Click here for rain barrels.

2. Make sure you’re not over-watering. Most of us over-water our lawns. Do you have moss growing on your driveway or sidewalk or in your garden? That’s a sign you’re watering too much. Do you have pools of standing water anywhere? Another sign. You can buy a very inexpensive lawn moisture meter that will tell you if you’re over-watering. You might also consider getting an intelligent irrigation control system that attunes your watering to the weather and your lawn’s needs.

The key to a great lawn isn’t more water. In fact, excessive moisture can actually damage the roots of the grass. Keep your lawn healthy by watering less frequently, and keeping track of how much water your grass needs.

According to the U.S. EPA, healthy, established lawns need only about one inch of water per week. Watering once per week should be sufficient in getting to the deep roots of the

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A couple of weeks ago, Rebecca introduced us to "safe lawn" methods: you can grow a traditional grass lawn with organic practices, making the whole process quite a bit greener. Another alternative (which she mentioned in that tip) is the use of native grasses and plants in place of more commonly-planted varieties.

Editor's note: Rebecca's taking the week off to attend the New York International Auto Show, so several of us will be filling in for her.

Spring is here officially, and for many homeowners, that means its time to start thinking about the lawn. As you consider your approach to keeping the grass green, we hope you'll incorporate some greener methods of doing it!

It's officially spring, and that means that those of you in the chilly parts of the country are starting to think about that big green expanse that covers all of the area around your house: your lawn. Having a beautiful green lawn has been a detrimental trend in terms of the environment, with residents placing toxic chemicals onto the ground and spending excessive amounts of water to keep it green. Then we cut

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Growing up, my neighbor's grass always looked immaculate and green compared to my parent's more natural variety. His triumph in the looks department, however, came at a terrible expense to the environment as he regularly used chemicals each spring to control weeds and pests.

Anyone who has ever witnessed this can remember the little yellow flags that spell toxic gloom to anyone looking to relax on the grass. Chemical warfare on our lawns (as

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