Landscaping

CURRENT NEWS

Axios

1 big thing: Lawn wars consume neighborhoods

By Jennifer A. Kingson and Others 05/01/23

Lawns have become the latest front-line issue in neighborhoods across the country, Jennifer A. Kingson reports, as some Americans shell out to maintain lush greens while others forgo mowing and chemical treatments.

Axios

Utah is paying lawn companies to trade in their noisy, gassy machines

By Erin Alberty 04/19/23

As the grass turns green and flower buds unfurl, it's time to listen for the melodic songs of birds, the buzzing of bees and the gentle flutter of ...

The New York Times

Clover Lawns Are Blooming in Front Yards, and on TikTok

By Anna Kodé 10/25/22

Edwina von Gal thinks that grass lawns can become like cigarettes: something that was once in vogue and backed by a massive industry that can be rebranded as an unhealthy and costly symbol of American…

Wired

Lawns Are Dumb. But Ripping Them Out May Come With a Catch

By Matt Simon 09/22/22

LAWNS BEGAN AS a flex by the uber-wealthy in 17th-century England. (Look how many resources I can waste to replicate nature, when actual nature is right next to my palatial home!) Today, turfgrass has spread…

The Washington Post

You — yes, you! — can help the planet. Start in your backyard.

By Sergio Pecanha 09/06/22

This column will give you some tools to help mitigate the damage we’re causing to the planet. But, first, let’s look at why you — yes, you — should pay attention to this.

The New York Times

How to Fall Out of Love With Your Lawn V

By Agnes Walton and Others 08/09/22

Seen from above, it’s not the undulating rows of square houses that make American suburbia so recognizable. It’s the wide rivers of lush, almost neon-green grass that cut through the landscape. And on long, hot…

Oregon State University

These 8 winter-blooming plants give bees needed nourishment

By Andony Melathopoulos 06/21/22

“Black-tailed bumblebees are out as early as January,” said Andony Melathopoulos, a bee specialist with Oregon State University Extension Service. “Native bees are just starting and will be seen more often later in February when…

pender.ces

Bee Friendly Flowers

By Charlotte Glen 06/21/22

Three fourths of the flowering plants on earth rely on animal mediated pollination to reproduce – Food webs and ecosystems depend on native plants

The Optimist Daily

A garden designer’s top 6 tips for rewilding your own garden

06/16/22

Rewilding is a progressive form of ecological restoration and conservation that returns a region to its natural, wild, and “unkempt” state. Here at The Optimist Daily, we love to spotlight the amazing rewilding initiatives that…

Los Angeles Times

On a block full of lawns, she ditched grass for a DIY drought-tolerant oasis

By Lisa Boone 05/31/22

During the pandemic, the young-adult author found inspiration on the long walks that she and her husband took in their Burbank neighborhood. It wasn’t the endless series of lush green lawns that moved her, however,…

Treehugger

Edible Landscaping Tips for Beginners

By Elizabeth Waddington 04/29/22

Edible landscaping, as the name suggests, is all about incorporating food-producing plants into a garden design. Landscaping usually focuses on creating visual appeal. But as you will learn, edible landscaping can be beautiful and useful,…

Treehugger

Sustainable Fencing Ideas That’ll Make You Want to Ditch Man-Made Fences in Your Garden

By Elizabeth Waddington 12/09/21

There is a common saying that good fences make good neighbors. Unfortunately, all too often, fences are things that divide us and diminish the environment, rather than improving things and bringing people together.

KEY RESOURCES

234birds.org

Healthy Landscapes, Healthy Birds, Healthy Us

07/21/21

North America has lost close to 3 billion birds since the 1970s, almost a third of the entire bird population. It is not just rare or endangered birds that we are losing, our familiar backyard…

Promoting toxic-free lawns and landscapes for the health of people, their pets, and the planet

05/17/21

Isaac Mizrahi Goes Organic: Kicks the Lawn Chemical Habit

Smart Policies for a Changing Climate (Adaptation, Mitigation, and Resilient Design)

08/05/20

Climate change is a threat to people and the ecosystem services on which we depend. Extreme weather events are on the rise. Flooding, drought, and wildfires are more frequent and more severe.

Gardening in a Warming World

08/05/20

Gardeners are keen observers of what is required to grow healthy plants of all types and sizes. New strategies and solutions to the problems presented by cultivating living things are often contemplative acts.

Climate Change in Your Own Backyard

08/05/20

Our planet is in trouble, but you can help by making changes in your garden.

Gardening for Climate Change

08/05/20

For millions of Americans, gardening is much more than a hobby—it is a passion. Unfortunately, climate change is threatening the gardening experience across the country.

Climate-Wise Landscaping

08/05/20

Practical Solutions for a Sustainable Future.

Climate Change in Coastal Communities

08/05/20

What are the potential impacts of climate change to estuaries and coastal areas?

Vegetable Gardening For Beginners

03/25/20

Ready to jump into gardening? It can be daunting at first, but gardening is an incredibly rewarding hobby to get into. Our Vegetable Gardening Guide for Beginners will help you to plan and grow your…

National Audubon Society

Your Yard Is a Stealthy Fossil Fuel Guzzler — Give It a Climate Makeover

03/22/19

Want a climate-friendly home? Your yard is a good place to start. This is the first in a five-part series of guides on how to manage your outdoor turf to reduce your carbon footprint, all…

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MORE NEWS

The New York Times

Meet an Ecologist Who Works for God (and Against Lawns)

By Cara Buckley 12/03/21

If Bill Jacobs were a petty man, or a less religious one, he might look through the thicket of flowers, bushes and brambles that encircle his home and see enemies all around. For to the…

The New York Times

The First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All the Leaf Blowers

By Margaret Renkl 10/25/21

Into these perfect October afternoons, when light gleams on the red dogwood berries and the blue arrowwood berries and the purple beautyberries; on the last of the many-colored zinnias and the last of the yellow…

The Washington Post

California set to become first state to ban gasoline-powered lawn equipment

By Tik Root 10/12/21

California is set to become the first state in the country to phase out gas-powered lawn equipment. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill Saturday that would require new small off-road engines (SOREs), used primarily…

Los Angeles Times

California moves toward ban on gas lawn mowers and leaf blowers

By Phil Willon 10/09/21

The law requires all newly sold small-motor equipment primarily used for landscaping to be zero-emission — essentially to be battery-operated or plug-in — by that target date or as soon as the California Air Resources…

Friends of the Earth

The human cost of a perfect lawn

By Valeria Paredes 09/24/21

Every year, 80 million pounds of pesticides are used on U.S. lawns to maintain attractive, lush greenery. In many cities across the country, Latinx immigrant workers are the primary labor force responsible for lawn care.…

Lawn and Landscape

Time for a charge

By Kim Lux 08/25/21

Landscape professionals like Wesley Hack are investing more and more into battery-powered equipment and aren’t turning back.

earth911

11 Steps to Encourage Water Conservation in Your Community

By Brian Brassaw 08/16/21

When Don and Lynn Ireland moved to Cherry Creek 3, they were a bit frustrated by the fact that the entire community shared one single water meter. This meant everyone was responsible for the community’s…

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Yards with less grass and more plants help fight climate change

By Tik Root 07/10/21

Summer is officially here. For many Americans, that means blankets of grassy green for kids to play in. There are an estimated 40 million to 50 million acres of lawn in the continental United States…

The Washington Post

Ditching grass could help your backyard thrive

By Tik Root 06/30/21

Summer is officially here. For many Americans, that means blankets of grassy green for kids to play in, or families to picnic on.

The Washington Post

Lawn care is going electric. And the revolution is here to stay

By Tik Root 06/30/21

It was a few minutes past 6 a.m., and the sun had already started to boil the muggy Alabama air. Matt Harrison, 38, watched as his colleague backed the public works pickup truck into a…

QUIET OCEAN D.C.

Why Eliminating Dirty Equipment Is an Important Environmental-Justice Measure

05/26/21

A teacher at a school in a prosperous part of Washington D.C., writing from his official school email account and saying that he was a mentor for the school’s future-entrepreneurs program, wrote with two concerns…

Bloomberg Opinion

The Next Electric Frontier Is Your Backyard

By Brooke Sutherland 05/22/21

In the rush to swap gas for batteries on everything from cars and delivery trucks to boats and golf carts, lawn mowers don't get much attention. But the traditional gas-powered versions that many people will soon use to get their yards ready for summer can…

The Optimist Daily

Support pollinators this spring with flower ‘billboards’

04/29/21

We at The Optimist Daily are always looking for ways to help our pollinator friends. If you are looking to plant a pollinator-friendly garden this spring, then a new study led by Jaret Daniels and Elizabeth…

WBUR

Interested In Eco-Friendly Gardening? Here’s What You Should Know

By Lisa Mullins and Hannah Chanatry 04/23/21

Environmentally-friendly gardening, once considered on the fringe, has surged in interest in the pandemic, according to Mark Richardson, director of horticulture for the Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston. Richardson sees the trend in the…

Yale Climate Connections

How to prepare your coastal property for sea-level rise and weather extremes

By Jan Ellen Spiegel 04/22/21

People who live along the Atlantic seaboard are accustomed to dealing with environmental extremes: salt spray that can kill just about anything green; relentless wind that whips vegetation into Leaning Tower of Pisa shapes; sand,…

Treehugger

Central Park May Soon Be Free of Pesticides

By Mary Jo DiLonardo 04/14/21

Kids and pets will soon be able to play in the grass at some of the country’s largest parks without being exposed to pesticides. Yogurt company Stonyfield Organic is continuing a major initiative to convert…

Treehugger

Planting Ideas for Garden Paths and Walkways

By Elizabeth Waddington 04/14/21

Those who are interested in permaculture and regenerative gardening may be well aware of the benefits — both local and global — of maximizing photosynthesis in a garden. The more plants we include in our…

Treehugger

Why We Should Embrace Regenerative Gardening

By Elizabeth Waddington 04/12/21

Over the last decade or so, you may have heard a lot about regenerative farming or regenerative agriculture. But you may not realize you can implement the ideas it espouses in your own garden. If…

National Geographic

Insects are vanishing at an alarming rate—but we can save them

By Christine Peterson 01/17/21

Insects aren’t just pests. They’re crucial for the planet and our food supply, and scientists say we can all pitch in to help.

sun sentinel

Cities give green light for pesticide-free parks

By Scott Luxor 07/16/20

Gary Petonke and the Wilton Manors-based Equality Garden Club have a vision for greening public lands in Broward County cities. It’s called the Green Initiative Project. The EGC, started in 2010 by five devoted gardeners,…

hawaii tribune herald

Tropical Gardening: Healing gardens to create peace of mind

By Norman Bezona 07/11/20

Last year, folks were complaining about wet weather in West Hawaii and too little rain in East Hawaii. Now, West Hawaii is getting much more rain than usual. Even the haole koa and kiawe are…

capradio

Sacramento Region Plans To Store Water Underground As A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy

By Ezra David Romero 07/07/20

The Sacramento region is preparing for the long term impacts of the climate crisis when it comes to water supply. Central to the plan is a groundwater storage program with two to three times the…

the architect's newspaper

Plant-wrapped towers, botanical gardens anchor Foster + Partners’ One Beverly Hills

By Matt Hickman 07/07/20

Alagem Capital Group, in partnership with London-based real estate investor Cain International, has revealed the Foster + Partners-designed master plan for a 17.5-acre mixed-use development that will pack a massive amount of landscaping into the…

Avenuemagazine

Meet the Hamptons Landscape Designer Detoxing Lawns and Gardens

By Nancy Kane 05/26/20

When a landscape designer on a mission to save the Earth met a pair of local filmmakers who shared her vision, it was a match made in compost. East Hampton–based landscape designer Edwina von Gal…

the New York Times

America’s Killer Lawns

By Margaret Renkl 05/18/20

One day last fall, deep in the middle of a devastating drought, I was walking the dog when a van bearing the logo of a mosquito-control company blew past me and parked in front of…

PSCI

LAWN MAINTENANCE AND CLIMATE CHANGE

By Jiahn Son 05/12/20

In America, over 40 million acres of land are covered by lawn, or, more specifically, turf grass. While lawns can function as “carbon sinks,” soaking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, this benefit is often…

ecological landscape alliance

Environmental Benefits of Organic Lawns

By Mary Travaglini 03/16/20

Sometimes people ask, “Aren’t lawns bad for the environment?” Turns out that’s not true, especially if the lawns are organic and have healthy soils. Here are some of the benefits of an organic lawn with healthy…

curbed

In age of climate change, can our lawns be more than landscaping?

By Patrick Sisson 05/01/19

If Americans want to reduce their environmental footprints, one of the first steps may be reexamining what’s in their backyards. The lawn-industrial complex, and our country’s obsession over manicured carpets of green, has birthed a…

One

Grass Lawns are an Ecological Catastrophe

By Lenore Hitchler 10/03/18

Are American lawns beautiful visions of nature? Or ecological calamities? Unfortunately, the grass leaves in our parks leave havoc in their wake. Lawns are extremely costly in many ways, including dollars spent on them, the…

Audubon

How to Go Birding by Tree

By Jesse Greenspan 07/29/16

When Ken Chaya first began birding in Manhattan’s famed Central Park 30 years ago, he took the same approach as everyone else, relying entirely on his eyes, binoculars, and ears to detect species in the…