In many parts of the country, lawns are green for only part of the year. The rest of the time they’re either covered in snow or a lovely shade of brown (like mine is right now). Artist Sonja Hinrichsen recently did a really cool art project in Colorado using snow as the canvas. Although she had five volunteers helping her out, this seems like the kind of project you could do with a few little ones on a smaller scale (granted, with slightly less impressive results).

Why not enjoy your lawn year-round, even when it’s covered in snow? Or, freak out the neighbors with mysterious “snow circles” that appear overnight!

Debuted at the Stockholm Furniture Fair, student Lena Louise Meyer’s Sprout Table makes growing indoor veggies both fun and artistic. Of course, the growing options aren’t necessarily limited to edible plants. The Sprout Table could also be used to grow grass indoors or plant tiny flowers. I think it would be a cool addition to a cafe or restaurant, too. Oh wait! I just had an idea… catnip!

All pictures are copyright 2012, Lena Louisa Meyer.

You can choose to mow with a manual or electric mower, or even better, hire somebody else to maintain your lawn using emission-free equipment. This is exactly what Lots of Green Lawn Care does in the Manchester, NH area. They use electric mowers, trimmers, and leaf blowers to keep your landscape looking shipshape, and the only soil amendment product they apply is organic compost. Oh, and electric mowers and trimmers are much quieter than gas-powered models. Bonus!

Services are not just limited to lawns; Lots of Green also provides:

• Installation of ornamental mulch
• Clean-up in fall or spring
• Recycling yard waste
• Perennial planting (they do native species, yay!)
• Soil testing (always a good way to start the growing season)
• Over-seeding of lawns
• Pruning and trimming
• Gutter cleaning

One of their goals is to retire and recycle 10,000 gas guzzlers by 2030. If you live in the Manchester area and are ready to give up your lawn mower, let Lots of Green take over your lawn care duties so you can enjoy more free time. Lots of Green is not only committed to the environment, they are also dedicated to their community. They donate 5% or their annual profits to local community organizations and non-profits.

I love to learn more about eco-friendly lawn care businesses. If you have a lawn care business that uses organic lawn care methods or emission-free equipment, I would be happy to write a profile about it on this blog. We don’t ask for anything in return (although if you want to add a GreenerGreenGrass link to your website or blog we would certainly appreciate it). Our goal is to help as many people as possible convert to natural and organic lawn care methods, which includes hiring eco-friendly lawn services.

© Greenpeace, Inc. / Laura Lombardi

Once upon a time, when I was just a fledgling activist with Greenpeace, we went to Aurora, Nebraska to highlight the dangers of genetic engineering. We made a banner that read This is Your Food on Drugs, Ban Genetically Engineered Drug Crops and hung it on a grain silo full of soy beans. These particular soy beans had been grown for human consumption, but had been contaminated by a neighboring field that was growing a genetically modified crop with a pig vaccine in it. The obvious question in my mind was and still remains: What about all the contamination of food crops that we don’t discover?

This was about a decade ago, when GMO food issues were just starting to be a topic of discussion among environmentalists, farmers, and the government. Obviously we didn’t achieve the desired ban (yet), but the topic still remains one that generates a heated debate among stake-holders. Contamination of food crops crops is clearly a major point of concern, but even developments like genetically modified grass seed (yep, Scotts Miracle-Gro made that) pose long-term environmental threats.

A new study by French researchers at the University of Caen shows that toxins produced in genetically engineered maize can impact human cells. And guess what? According to these researchers, even small amounts of Roundup can be damaging to human cells. Shocker.

On the plus side, Aurora is a pretty cool little town with a great pizza place, a fantastic flea market, and some very nice folks who are really into football.

Here’s the press release about the study:

Insecticidal Bt toxins such as those produced in genetically engineered plants can be detrimental to human cells. This is a result of recent research led by researchers at the University of Caen (France). Their experiments showed that toxins produced in, for example, the genetically engineered maize MON810, can significantly impact the viability of human cells. The effects were observed with relatively high concentrations of the toxins, nevertheless there is cause for concern. For the first time, experiments have now shown that they can have a toxic effect to human cells. According to companies like Monsanto, which produces genetically engineered maize with these toxins, the toxins are supposed to be active only against particular insects and should have no effect on mammals and humans at all. The investigation of effects of Bt toxins on human cells is not a requirement for risk assessment in Europe or in any other region

Another finding of the researchers concerns a herbicide formulation sold under the brand name Roundup. Massive amounts of this herbicide are sprayed on genetically engineered soybean crops and its residues can be found in food and feed. According to the new publication, even extremely low dosages of Roundup (glyphosate formulations) can damage human cells. These findings are in accordance with several other investigations highlighting unexpected health risks associated with glyphosate preparations.

“We were very much surprised by our findings. Until now, it has been thought almost impossible for Bt proteins to be toxic to human cells. Now further investigations have to be conducted to find out how these toxins impact the cells and if combinatorial effects with other compounds in the food and feed chain have to be taken into account,” says Gilles-Eric Séralini from the University of Caen, who supervised the experiments. “In conclusion, these experiments show that the risks of Bt toxins and of Roundup have been underestimated.”

Bt toxins and tolerance to herbicides are broadly used in genetically engineered plants. Bt proteins only naturally occur in soil bacteria. By introducing the modified toxin gene into the plants, the structure of the toxins is modified and may thereby cause selectivity to be changed. The content of the proteins within the plants is highly variable. Many genetically engineered plants contain several Bt toxins at the same time. For example, SmartStax produces six different Bt toxins and therefore has a higher overall content of the proteins. In addition, it was made tolerant to herbicides. So far, there has been no investigation of the combinatorial effects of these toxins and residues from spraying, or their potential risks for human health, which was considered unlikely. The researchers have now shown that interactivity does occur. Under the specific conditions of their experiment, the Bt toxin lowered the toxicity of Roundup. Further investigations are necessary to examine other potential combinatorial effects under varying conditions.

“These results are pretty worrying. Risk assessment requirements for genetically engineered plants and pesticides need to be rigidly enforced. In the light of these findings, we think that the commercialisation of these plants is not in accordance with EU regulations”, says Christoph Then at Testbiotech. Testbiotech is closely following risk assessment at the European Food Safety Authority EFSA and has repeatedly brought attention to gaps in risk assessment.

The research was supported by GEKKO foundation (Germany). CRIIGEN Association (France) and Testbiotech (Germany) were involved in planning the experiments and the discussion of results. Findings were published after peer review process.

Mesnage R., Clair E., Gress S., Then C., Székács A., Séralini G.-E., 2012, Cytotoxicity on human cells of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac Bt insecticidal toxins alone or with a glyphosate-based herbicide, Journal of Applied Toxicology, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jat.2712/abstract

No rest for the Consumer Reports lawn mower testers.

Imagine spending six weeks just mowing lawns. That’s exactly what Consumer Reports testers do to make their ratings for the best lawn mowers. They grow six acres of grass just to mow it and see how dozens of walk-behind and riding mowers perform. Sounds like a dream job for lawn geeks!

Ratings won’t be posted for another few weeks, but if a new lawn mower is on your list of purchases for spring, you might want to hold off until the test results are available. The teaser article from Consumer Reports (watch the video) only mentions riding mowers and walk-behind models that are gas-powered.  I sent an inquiry asking whether they also test manual reel mowers, electric mowers, and propane-powered mowers. And let’s not forget about solar mowers! I personally would love to see a comparison of these and I know many of my fellow organic lawn enthusiasts would appreciate it as well.

I realize that if you have a massive lawn it’s not reasonable to expect you to mow the entire thing with a dinky little reel mower, but a mower upgrade may still be a good idea, especially if yours is more than ten years old. Just as energy efficiency has improved in automobiles, new lawn mowers consume much less gas than older models. They also produce fewer emissions and tend to be quieter (although still annoyingly load compared to a manual mower). So, if you must use a gas-powered mower, consider upgrading to a new one  and keep it well-tuned to maintain good energy efficiency.

Enjoy the weekend! We’re still basking in unseasonably high temperatures here in Maine. It’s in the high 40′s here today – in February.

Photo by greetings.from on Flikr.

Check out the full story at Yogagoat Pottery.  It’s sweet…

Need a last-minute Valentine’s Day idea? Get the DIY instructions for this sweet idea at Oh Happy Day.

And finally, a spring project from babble. (Photo by Sarah Winward)

When I saw one of the latest Ryan Gosling “Hey Girl” photos about seed catalogs I immediately thought of all my female gardener friends. Then I thought, “Wow, I need to start thinking about which seeds I’m going to get this year!”  Then I wondered what an equivalent photo/comment would be for men. Perhaps a sexy picture of Angelina Jolie with the caption “Hey mister. What do you say we take off our shirts, crack a cold beer, and take a ride on the lawn mower?”  Any thoughts, guys?

Back to my first thought – seeds for spring. I haven’t yet decided what I’m going to plant this year, but I thought I would share some seed germination tips, just in case this picture sparked the same idea for you. Although this post will generally focus on germinating seeds indoors, the concepts also apply to grass or any other plant you intend to germinate outdoors, particularly when it comes to moisture, sunlight, and fertilizer.

1.  Containers – Seedlings need space. Planting in individual containers, or wide, shallow trays ensures that each seed has enough room to develop roots and gather moisture and nutrients from the surrounding soil. You can purchase containers designed specifically for starting seeds, or you can save some cash and be more eco-friendly by reusing old yogurt cups, or other small plastic food containers that you would normally recycle (or, gasp! throw away). Just make sure they are deep enough to hold at least an inch and a half of soil. Poke holes in the bottom of each container to allow excess water to drain out. Always make sure your containers have been thoroughly cleaned before you use them for germinating seeds. Even though you are filling them with dirt, it is important that there is no bacteria present.

2.  Soil – You can use compost, store-bought starter soil mix (which usually isn’t actually soil), or peat moss mixed with sphagnum and vermiculite. Although it may be tempting and seems like an easy fix, you should not start indoor seedlings with soil from your outdoor garden. Yes, your plants will end up there anyway, and yes it’s okay to start outdoor seedlings in it, but seeds germinated in containers are more susceptible to the disease organisms that are inevitably in your outdoor soil. So, if you don’t compost, invest in a seed starting mix; you don’t need much and your chances of seedling success will be much greater.

3.  Moisture – Placing your containers on an absorbent surface, like paper towels or cardboard, will allow excess water to drain through the holes in the bottom. Too much water will contribute to root rot, but too little moisture will prevent the seeds from germinating and growing. To keep moisture levels consistent, cover the containers with clear plastic wrap. If the soil starts to look too dry, rather than pouring water on top of the soil and possibly disturbing any germination activity that has already started, put the container in a tray with warm water, watering from the bottom up. To lightly water the surface, use a sprayer to apply a light mist. Take the plastic wrap off as soon as the seeds germinate; they will now need air to grow.

4.  Sunlight – One of the coolest things about germinating seeds is watching how fast they grow. You can also see photosynthesis in action as the plants grow toward the sun, leaning their cute little plant bodies as far as they can toward the heat and light. Rotating your seedlings a quarter-turn on a daily basis will help increase the strength of the stems. Keep your seedlings in a warm place, ideally between 65 and 75 degrees, where they will receive sunlight for at least 12 hours a day.

5.  Fertilizer – Seeds are really neat little packages. They have everything they need inside them to germinate into an actual plant. However, after germination, the seed has spent its nutrient stores and it’s up to you to feed the seedlings. When the plant’s first real leaves appear (not the tiny cute oval-shaped ones, but the ones that have their final shape), you should start to add nutrients to the container. Liquid fertilizers are best because the nutrients are more readily absorbed into the soil, and consequently to the plant’s roots. Use a diluted mix because seedlings don’t need as much as fully grown plants. Make sure your fertilizer has all three macro nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, because they are all important at this stage of growth.

Now, all I need to do is decide what to plant!

This week’s blanks are all about blogging. If you’re a blogger yourself, play along with us!

1.  I started my blog because I’m a lawn geek.  I started GreenerGreenGrass because I believe that chemical lawn care practices are terrible for the environment and there is no possible justification for it.  While I am an avid supporter of organic farming and gardening, I can understand why some farmers choose to use pesticides and chemical fertilizers.  I don’t like it, but I can understand it.  Farms create a livelihood and an edible product.  Using chemical pesticides and fertilizers just to keep your grass green is not something I will ever comprehend.  That said, I also understand the desire for a lush, healthy lawn.  By using natural and organic lawn products you get the best of both worlds – green grass and a safe lawn.  That whole rant was just to say… I started my blog because I want to provide useful tools and tips for people who want a green lawn without damaging their family’s health or the environment.

2.  One thing I love seeing on other blogs is links to my blog!  Kidding… sort of.  I really like to see new ideas, interesting photos, clever solutions to common problems, and well-formed opinions.  Plus, I’m kind of a stickler for spelling and grammar.

3.  Something I love about blogging is learning about new topics.  Fellow bloggers know how difficult it can be to come up with several blog ideas each week.  For you non-bloggers out there, trust me, it’s hard.  While I still have some good lawn care tips up my sleeve, I spend a little time each week researching new ideas and topics I don’t know very well.  The result is interesting little projects for me and (hopefully) helpful and interesting blog posts for you.

4.  A favorite blog post of mine is probably Confessions of a Terrible Gardener Part 1: My Organic Lawn.  It felt really good to get that off my chest, and I had a fantastic reader response.  What other secrets do you want to know???

5.  Something my friends in real life know about me that I’ve never before mentioned on my blog is oh geez, lots of stuff.  Um, I’m a Libra?  No, that’s boring…  My interest in the environment started at an early age, really since I can remember, probably because my dad and I spent a lot of time outdoors hiking, camping, kicking the soccer ball around, playing in the park, etc.  The interest truly gelled as a passion when I worked with Greenpeace.  I used to save trees and stuff.

6.  My new favorite blogs to read are: Michele Made Me makes me want to be crafty, Swimming in this Sea of Life keeps me connected to a dear friend, and the Compost Mania blog feeds my insatiable curiosity about the rotting mound of scraps in my back yard that consistently transforms into spectacular compost.

7.  Some things I tend to avoid doing on my blog are  making political statements, alienating people who don’t feel as strongly as I do about organic lawn and garden care, and talking about my dog (because sometimes I really really want to share his total goofiness with the world, but this is a blog about lawn tips).  But, since I mentioned Kohl…. see how goofy he is?

I am not a very crafty person, so I have compiled some fun indoor grass ideas from other blog sites to share with you.

You might be able to do this one in time for Valentine’s Day and it’s a great little project for kids. You can get the simple instructions from FamilyFun and do a little crafting with the little ones this weekend. How long do you think your kids could keep their tiny little lawn alive?

They also have another kid-friendly craft idea for Grass Head Guys.

Martha Stewart totally freaks me out, but I have to admit that she has some pretty clever ideas. This one is a bit Easter-y but you can use the wheat grass table runner idea any time of year to add a little color to the dining room table. Plus, you can eat it!

And, I wouldn’t object to a chocolate bunny any time of year…

Leave it to the Japanese to bring the outdoors in. With major space limitations, they are the masters of clever design. The Metaphys indoor grass planter series has stackable planters that can be arranged in infinite configurations. The one on the right is my personal favorite.

I found lots of other cool indoor grass ideas while researching for this post. Perhaps I’ll do a round two next week… Reader ideas are of course always welcome!

It’s chore day. You’ve raked the leaves, taken out the recycling, and emptied out the old junk in your garage. But wait — don’t toss it all out! You have all the ingredients for your very own homemade solar system.

If new advances in “biophotovoltaics” research are any indication, you may someday be able to create your own solar “goo” from plant matter and apply it to metal or glass.

A group of researchers has found a way to break down plant matter, isolate photosynthetic molecules, and then spread those molecules on a metal or glass substrate. So theoretically, you could take a bag full of leaves and grass, pour in a mixture of chemicals to break them down, and then finish your chores by painting the liquid on your windows to produce electricity. Not bad for a day’s work.

Researchers have been working on biophotovoltaics for many years, only to be hindered by low efficiencies, rapid degradation, and difficulties in spreading the photovoltaic “goo” onto a substrate. But nine scientists have just published research on new advances that boost performance and may allow for inexpensive substrates like recycled glass and metal to be used:

To improve photovoltaic performance we increased the light absorption cross-section without changing the footprint by departing from the traditional flat electrode geometry in favor of mesoscopic, high-surface area semiconducting electrodes (TiO2 nanocrystals and ZnO nanowires). Finally, we showed how high affinity peptide motifs bioengineered to promote selective adsorption to specific substrates can enhance photovoltaic performance. These materials, geometries and design resulted in simple, robust biophotovoltaic devices of unprecedented performance.

In short, the researchers have created a method to stabilize the photosynthetic molecules. And by coating a substrate with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanowires, they can now turn any sort of glass or metal material into a working solar cell with efficiencies better than ever before.

It’s a fascinating discovery. But don’t get too excited yet. Efficiencies are still extraordinarily low — only at .01%. They’d need to be about 10 times that in order to power a light or charge a cell phone. So for the foreseeable future, don’t expect to be painting your house with a bag of grass clippings.

However, as research advances and performance continues to improve, MIT physicist Andreas Mershin says it could be perfect for remote applications in developing countries.

Follow the link to watch a video interview –  Solar Panels From Grass Clippings: Researchers Make Progress on “Biophotovoltaics” | ThinkProgress.