Press Release: Environmental Lawn And Garden Practices Need Improvement

Contact: Bruce Butterfield, Research Director
National Gardening Association
(800) 538-7476, ext. 113
e-mail: bruceb@garden.org

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWN AND GARDEN PRACTICES NEED IMPROVEMENT

The National Gardening Association and Organic Gardening Magazine announce publication of the 2004 Environmental Lawn and Garden Survey

South Burlington, Vermont (August, 2004) – The National Gardening Association (NGA) is pleased to announce publication of the 2004 ENVIRONMENTAL LAWN AND GARDEN SURVEY, a ground-breaking report on how environmentally responsible consumers really are when it comes to caring for their lawns and gardens. With exclusive sponsorship provided by Organic Gardening magazine and support from the Lawns and the Environment Initiative, NGA takes an in-depth look at consumers' lawn and landscape practices and their current use of, interest in, and demand for all-natural, organic lawn and garden products.

The 2004 ENVIRONMENTAL LAWN AND GARDEN SURVEY is based on research conducted by Harris Interactive in July 2004 using a representative sample of more than 2,000 households nationwide. Topics addressed include how big the market for all-natural lawn and garden products is compared to conventional fertilizers and pesticides; who the environmentally-responsible consumer is and how many are there in the U.S.; what lawn and garden activities are most popular; why people use organic gardening methods and why they don't; and how the use of all-natural, organic gardening methods will increase in the future. The report also includes NGA's exclusive Environmental Lawn & Garden Scorecard, a rating of how well U.S. consumers are doing based on their participation in environmentally responsible lawn and garden practices.

Bruce Butterfield, NGA Research Director, reports that "A majority of U.S. households followed only 3 out of 12 recommended environmentally friendly lawn and garden practices. Less than half of all households followed the remaining 9 simple environmentally friendly practices."

″It's clear homeowners make choices when caring for their lawns and gardens that have an impact on the environment,″ says Scott Meyer, Editor of Organic Gardening. ″With just a little information and, in fact, less effort everybody could have a lawn that's both lush and eco-friendly.″

Responses to the 2004 ENVIRONMENTAL LAWN AND GARDEN SURVEY show that:

  • 67% of those surveyed keep their yard safe, clean, and well maintained to add beauty to their home and neighborhood
  • 65% water their lawns and plants only when they need it and use water wisely
  • 53% read and follow the label carefully when using pesticides and fertilizers
  • 45% leave grass clippings in place on their lawn
  • 43% keep fertilizer, pesticides, and yard and pet waste out of water sources and off pavement
  • 42% choose and use the right plants in the right spot for their climate, sun/shade, soil, and rainfall
  • 42% apply mulch around trees, shrubs, or garden areas
  • 39% cut their lawns at the highest recommended mower setting
  • 32% identify lawn and garden problems, and research appropriate control methods before using insect or weed pesticides
  • 28% recycle yard waste by composting grass clippings, leaves, and other organic material
  • 26% learn more about how to best care for their lawns, specific plants, soil, and wildlife at home
  • 25% use only well-adapted or native plants in their landscaping and remove poorly adapted, exotic, or invasive plants

For more information on the 2004 ENVIRONMENTAL LAWN AND GARDEN SURVEY or to order a copy of the complete report ($200 prior to August 31; $250 beginning September 1), contact Bruce Butterfield at (800) 538-7476, ext. 113, or visit gardenresearch.com.

The National Gardening Association, the largest nonprofit organization of home, school, and community gardeners in the United States, is a well-known and widely recognized authority on the U.S. consumer lawn and garden market. NGA has promoted gardening and helped food and flower gardening enthusiasts become better gardeners for more than 30 years. To learn more about National Gardening Association, please visit www.garden.org.

For more than 60 years Rodale has published authentic and credible information to help our readers put their passions into practice. Rodale's magazine properties include the global brands Prevention, Men's Health and Runner's World, as well as Organic Style, Organic Gardening, Best Life, Backpacker, Bicycling, and Mountain Bike. Rodale is the largest independent book publisher in America, and has a growing stable of international titles. Recent Rodale New York Times Bestsellers include Pete Rose: My Prison Without Bars, The South Beach Diet, The South Beach Diet Cookbook, Dr. Shapiro's Picture Perfect Weight Loss, and 8 Minutes in the Morning by Jorge Cruise. For more information on how to grow a beautiful, productive garden the natural way, go to www.organicgardening.com.