True Blue Gardening

Americans are in love with their lawns.

Lawns are where we play and picnic.

Community acceptance comes with a neat green lawn.

To keep our lawns as green as our neighbors’, we fertilize and over-fertilize.

Our Choices Matter!

Now we can see the changes.

Adding toxic chemicals– fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides– to our lawns pollutes Torch Lake.

Torch Lake is turning green.

Fertilizers make the grass and the lake grow greener.

Excess nutrients cause algae to grow on the bottom and rocks are slimy and the sandy bottom’s squishy.

Plus- our drinking water may now contain toxic chemicals.

You can Care for Torch!

And it’s simple to do.

Just follow these Lake-friendly Lawn Tips:

1. Keep a No Mow Zone
   Create a barrier of deep-rooted plants between your lawn and the lake or creek
   
2. Kick the Fertilizer Habit
   Change the type and frequency of fertilizer on your lawn
   
3. Build Healthy Soil for a Green Lawn
   Turn the soil under your lawn from a sandy sieve to a water absorbent sponge
   
4. Care for Lawns
   Make little changes in your lawn care routine
5. Water-Friendly Pesticides and Herbicides
   Keep toxins out of our water