Lawn care: 'greener' alternatives
Bryant Tronetti, a resident of Smethport, is completing his freshman year at Allegheny College in Meadville.

In driving around on Sunday afternoon, I noticed how many caution signs were posted because of people using herbicides on their lawns.

These "harmless" chemicals run off and seep into groundwater used every day to drink, bathe and engage in recreation.

Alternative plants are one way to cut lawn care costs and pollution. By using groundcover plants (alyssum, bishop weed and juniper) and clover (yellow blossom, red clother and dutch white), landowners can achieve both goals.

These plants require less maintenance. They naturally fight weeds and they act as mulch, adding beneficial nitrogen to the soil. Flower beddings, shrubs, ornamental grasses and/or moss can also decrease maintenance and eliminate the need for both fertilizers and poisons.

Another way to decrease costs and pollution is by changing your mowing method. Natural lawn care advocates state that the easiest way to keep up with your lawn is to mow often and high, and to leave the clippings. This allows the grass to out-compete the weeds and the clippings act as mulch, preventing the weeds from getting a foothold.

There are many other ways to care for your lawn in an environmentally friendly and inexpensive manner. A number of all-natural alternatives are now widely available at nurseries and online.