[caption id="attachment_4944" align="alignleft" width="360" caption="This dandelion, growing in a sidewalk, was spotted this morning."][/caption] I spotted my first dandelion today. Warmed by the surrounding pavement, it was popping up through a corner crack in a sidewalk. Every year when the first dandelion sighting happens, usually later than this year, I quietly pay homage to my late grandmother, for who ...

It has taken several years for science to catch up with common sense in the nonsense known as colony collapse disorder in bees. It was obvious to us more than five years ago that a class of pesticides known as neonicotines — imidacloprid, chothianidin and others — was responsible for wiping out millions of beehives in North America. In the past year report after report from the scientific community has conf ...

[caption id="attachment_4933" align="alignleft" width="540" caption="'Dark Dancer,' a four-leaf clover perennial intended for use in gardens, was initially bred with the Dutch white clover most commonly found on lawns."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_4935" align="alignleft" width="540" caption="Dutch white clover is already greening on this northern lawn. The clover helps feed the surrounding grass plan ...

[caption id="attachment_4930" align="alignleft" width="720" caption="March has been off-the-charts warm for much of the nation. "][/caption] If you live East of the Rockies, then chances are your lawn and garden thinks it’s the first day of summer — not the first day of spring. With unprecedented March temperatures confusing every aspect of Mother Nature, however, it’s important to remember that it is, afte ...

[caption id="attachment_4922" align="alignleft" width="555" caption="High Country Gardens specializes in drought-tolerant plants."][/caption] AS A PART OF OUR ongoing campaign to reduce the impact of the American lawn, we launched guest blog series with our sponsoring partners at High Country Gardens in New Mexico. Rethinking the Traditional American Lawn is a four-part series by High Country Gardens Founde ...

[caption id="attachment_4918" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="Avoidance of pesticides is the surest way to keep children safe."][/caption] In recognition of National Poison Prevention Week beginning Sunday, March 18, the SafeLawns Foundation is joining the Environmental Protection Agency and numerous other agencies in urging parents to take extra steps around their homes to reduce the more than 150,0 ...

Few industries around the world can point to a single weekend as the date of their origin. Sure, lawn care has been around ever since kings ordered peasants to scythe their meadows for comfortable strolling, but in terms of the modern lawn care industry it really all began during the second weekend of April of 1967 — the first time the Masters golf tournament was broadcast live to America in full technicolor green. ...

Professionals and Homeowners Invited to 2-Day Symposium They are the major issues facing the lawn and garden industry on our continent today: How do you deal with fertilizer runoff from lawns? How can you safely save your trees in the face of exotic invasive insects? How can golf courses deliver championship conditions and still be environmentally friendly? [caption id="attachment_4900" align="alignleft" wi ...

COMPANIES MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE Pearls Premium, www.pearlspremium.com ECO-LAWN, www.wildflowerfarm.com High County Gardens, www.highcountrygardens.com With the calendar barreling toward spring, I’m like many people this time of year . . . dreaming about how to make my lawn and garden better. I waited too long last fall on a big seeding project, so I’ll be out there again as soon as this weekend in south ...

NOTE: SafeLawns members receive $10 off registration to this conference FROM BEYOND PESTICIDES With Members of Congress attempting to gut pesticide protections from the Clean Water Act and state legislators threatening to repeal Connecticut’s historic pesticide ban on school grounds, environmentalists from the Northeast and beyond are joining with researchers, authors, beekeepers, organic business leaders, ...