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Spring-Green Springs into Spring with Organic Alternatives to Traditional Lawn Care

Though the weather has been pretty erratic lately – 70s one day and 30s the next – it is springtime according to the calendar and many homeowners are turning their attention to their lawns and landscapes.

The Post-Bulletin reported the trend of "going green" is spreading throughout nearly every facet of our lives, from the food we eat to the clothing we wear, even the way we take care of our lawns. And as our lawns begin to wake up from winter, many of us, for a number of reasons, are turning to organic practices, including lawn fertilizer. Spring-Green Lawn Care owner Ken Brown said he, too, has joined the green revolution by offerings a corn gluten fertilizer as an organic fertilizer alternative.

"Organic fertilizer is designed to enhance the growth pattern of your lawn to give you a thicker, greener lawn," Brown said. While organic fertilizer will not kill weeds, "it creates conditions in the soil for stronger, healthier turf that squeezes out virtually all weeds." Unlike chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizer will not produce immediate results. However, Brown said, regular, diligent use of organic fertilizer will give you a lawn you can smile about. But does it take a lot of green to go green? "Organic material tends to be a little more expensive. Ultimately, though, the cost pays for itself,” continued Brown. “If use it the way you're supposed to, irrigate correctly and mow higher, it will do what you expect."

Photo: Spring-Green franchisee Ken Brown with his wife, Kris.

Going Green While Getting Clean

Kermit the Frog, be prepared to eat your words: It IS easy being green!

The Galveston County Daily News reported being green is much easier than when Kermie recorded his 1970 hit now that more businesses have embraced eco-friendly products and services. Take Mike Piznar: The U.S. Navy veteran and former environmental engineer is poised to open Martinizing Dry Cleaning in Pearland, Texas next week. Though many dry cleaners use the chemical perchloroethylene – which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calls a groundwater contaminant and has been linked to cancer, federal officials say – Martinizing uses the silicone-based, nontoxic cleaning solvent GreenEarth. Piznar has signed on to open five stores in the southwest Houston area – the second of which he hopes to open by the end of 2009.

“Though Martinizing is a total departure from anything I’ve done in the past, I think it’s a great fit for the area. Southwest Houston is an up-and-coming area and we’re part of a brand new development – two factors that I’m sure will lend themselves to our success,” said Piznar.

Go Green or Go Home..or Go Green IN Your Home!

Buying a home is one of the biggest investments a person can make but how does one blend function and style while keeping the environment in mind? Start from the ground up.

"Green is really becoming a big focus in the flooring industry," Floor Coverings International's Dan Jensen told KLEW 3. "We hear and talk about green everyday. It might be somebody buying a new hybrid car or trying to be a little more conservative with water consumption. It goes to all aspects of our life. The flooring industry, they've become very aware of the movement and there are a lot of products now that have that green title."

Jensen – who owns his Lewiston, Idaho business with his wife Carla and was recently named Floor Coverings International’s Franchisee of the Year for the second year in a row – said they have products that are better for the environment. "Bamboo actually is a grass so it recovers very quickly, much like the lawns in our backyards, but a lot tougher. Cork floors are actually bark off of an oak tree that's native to the Mediterranean. They can shave the bark off the trees and the bark grows back so they haven’t had to chop that tree down and cut it up into boards like conventional hardwood flooring. There are carpet mills now that are recycling a lot of the carpet yarns."

There's also tile on the market that's made from 40 to 50 percent recycled content. And Jensen said going green won't hurt your wallet as much as you might expect. "Typically what I see in the green products, qualities are very high, most of them are being introduced on a higher fashion type offering so when you compare quality and fashion the prices are very competitive," said Jensen.

And as part of their commitment to green, the Lewiston Floor Coverings International won franchise of the year.