Environmental Lawn and Garden Survey Finds that America's Lawns and Landscapes Could Be Much "Greener"


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Bruce Butterfield
National Gardening Association
802-863-5251, ext. 113
e-mail: bruceb@garden.org

South Burlington, VT (May 19, 2008) – The National Gardening Association's 2008 Environmental Lawn and Garden Survey recently asked a representative sample of U.S. households nationwide, "How environmentally friendly do you think are the practices currently used to maintain residential, commercial, and municipal lawns and landscapes?" NGA found that only one out of five respondents (21%) gave current lawn and landscape maintenance practices a passing "green" grade.

While homeowners can't control how commercial and municipal lawns and landscapes are maintained, they do have control over what happens in their own backyards. To measure how "green" homeowners are in caring for their lawns and landscapes at home, NGA used an Eco-Scorecard that asked respondents with a yard or garden which of 12 environmentally friendly lawn, garden, and landscape practices they will follow at home this year.

Environmentally Friendly Lawn, Garden, and Landscape Practices a Yard or Garden %
Water your lawn and plants only when they need it.Use water wisely. 63
Keep your yard safe, clean, and well maintained to add beauty to your home and neighborhood. 56
Read and follow the label carefully when using pesticides and fertilizers. 49
Leave grass clippings in place on your lawn. 44
Keep fertilizer, pesticide, yard, and pet waste out of water sources and off pavement.
 43
Apply mulch around trees, shrubs, or garden areas. 40
Choose and use the right plants in the right spot for your climate, sun/shade, soil, and rainfall.
 39
Cut your lawn at the highest recommended mower setting. 39
Recycle yard waste by composting grass clippings, leaves, and other organic materials.
 31
Before using pesticides to control insects or weeds, make sure the problem and the most appropriate method to
control the problem are correctly identified.
 29
Use only well-adapted or native plants in your landscaping and remove poorly adapted, exotic, or invasive plants. 26
Learn more about how to best care for the lawn, specific plants, soil, and wildlife at your home.
 20
None of the above. 10
Don’t Know 10

"The fact that only 2 out of 12 environmentally friendly lawn, garden, and landscape practices on the Eco-Scorecard are followed by a 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. Most homeowners have a lot to learn about 'green' lawn and landscape practices," said Mike Metallo, NGA president.

When the 2008 Environmental Lawn and Garden Survey asked respondents, "How knowledgeable would you say you are about how to maintain your home lawn, garden, and landscape in an environmentally friendly way," most homeowners said that they aren't very knowledgeable.

Environmental Lawn and Landscape Knowledge Level % of Households With a Yard or Garden
Extremely knowledgeable (5) 3
Very knowledgeable (4) 11
Somewhat knowledgeable (3) 40
Not very knowledgeable (2) 22
Not at all knowledgeable (1) 8
Don't know 4
Don't have a home lawn/landscape 13
Average 2.8

For more environmentally friendly lawn and garden information visit www.garden.org

About the National Gardening Association
The National Gardening Association (NGA), founded in 1973, is a national nonprofit leader in plant-based education, respected for its award-winning Web sites and newsletters, grants and curricula for youth gardens, and research for the lawn and garden industry. NGA’s mission is to advance the personal, community, and educational benefits of gardening by supporting gardeners and teachers with information and resources. To learn more, please visit www.garden.org and www.kidsgardening.org.