February 15th

By Mutt Mulligan

TurfMutt’s Top 5: Health benefits of your lawn

There are many reasons to love your lawn, but a few of them might surprise you. Did you know your living landscape isn’t just good for the environment? It’s also good for the health and well-being of you, your family and your pets.

Here are TurfMutt’s top 5 health benefits of living landscapes.

1. Children’s stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces. Knowing and experiencing nature makes us generally happier, healthier people.
2. Getting dirty is good for you! Mycobacterium vaccae in soil mirrors the effect on neurons that Prozac provides. People who spend time gardening and have direct contact with soil feel more relaxed and happier. This spring give your kids a pair of gardening gloves and have them work with you in your green spaces for a hefty dose of Vitamin N(ature) and G(reen).
3. Children gain attention and working memory benefits when they are exposed to greenery. Exposure to natural settings may be widely effective in reducing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children.
4. Living landscapes help kids and pets be healthier. Playing outdoors increases fitness levels and builds healthy, active bodies.
5. Your lawn produces lots of oxygen. 50 square feet of grass generates enough oxygen each day for a family of four, and reduces the “code red” effect since grass removes pollutants from the air we breathe.

As TurfMutt and his Outdoor Power pals know, trees, shrubs, grass and flowering plants are integral to human health. They provide a place for children and pets to play and directly contribute to our mental and physical well-being.

For more tips on maintaining a living landscape, check out this site.