In recent years, there has been much well meaning, although misguided discussion on lawns and their impact on the environment. We are here to tell you that in our opinion, having a well maintained, green lawn is one of the BEST things you can do for the environment and our planet. Detractors will tell you that lawns waste water and resources, are “selfish,” and a luxury we should do without. Nothing could be further from the truth, and the benefits far outweigh the costs and go well beyond just water conservation.
Water
One of the main criticisms of lawns is their use of water, and to maintain a healthy lawn wastes this precious resource. In fact, lawns help SAVE water by filtering it into the ground and recharging our aquifers and water supplies naturally. In the absence of a lawn, natural rainfall is left to run down our streets into storm sewers and other undesirable areas. It also causes erosion and moves dirt and other particles into these systems. Your grass is also one of the best water filters you can find. Even on a freshly fertilized lawn, the water that passes through it will be clean enough to drink by federal standards within 3-4 days.
Air Quality
Having healthy grass prevents loose dirt from being blown by the wind into the air which affects our air quality. Grass, through photosynthesis also eats C02 and produces oxygen. In fact, a mere 25 square feet of grass produces enough oxygen for an adult to breathe for a day. An area of grass will produce much more oxygen than the same area of trees. If you are concerned about reducing your carbon footprint, then you should be interested in maintaining a healthy lawn for your home.
Cooling
Through evaporation, grass has a major cooling effect on air temperature. Bare soil is slightly less, while artificial turf actually causes heat with concrete/asphalt causing significantly more. Just the equivalent of 8 typical front yards can produce up to 70 tons of cooling in a year. Imagine the impact this would have if we all kept great yards on our air conditioners and environment!
Health and Wellness
To the surprise of no one, people do actually enjoy green spaces. We vote to build more parks in our cities all the time. Studies have been conducted and shown that people who are hospitalized actually recover an average of 3-4 days faster when they have window with a view of a beautiful landscape or park as opposed to rooftops or brick walls.
A Value Added Investment
If you are concerned with the value of your home, there is no better investment than your lawn. Data shows that you will get 10-15% more return on the money you put into your lawn and any other exterior project you do, such as building a pool or a deck.
The list of advantages goes on….so if you are concerned about our planet and our environment, don’t believe the hype that your lawn is the problem – in fact, it is the solution!
