The greening of the mall

Washington, D.C., is getting an organic makeover--well, part of it, anyway. A 4.3-acre center section of the National Mall is being maintained organically. The National Parks Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and SafeLawns.org are sponsoring the pilot project to demonstrate whether a hardier, healthier lawn can result from caring for soil in an environmentally friendly way. If going organic works on grounds that are as difficult to maintain as the National Mall, which gets trampled on by the crowds who tour the nation's capital, it will work on your lawn, notes Paul Tukey, spokesman for SafeLawns.org. The project launched in fall 2007, when compost and organic mulch were applied to tilled, reseeded soil. In April the area is being reopened to public viewing and foot traffic. "We're confident that people will see a difference," says Tukey. "If the soil is treated properly, the grass will grow better and the lawn will stay green." To learn more about the makeover, and about toxic-free lawn care, visit safelawns.org.

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