A Green Garage® Self-Assessment Quiz

The following quiz will help you identify the practices and products you employ that fit the philosophy of the Green Garage®, and suggest more earth-friendly strategies that you can incorporate into your gardening activities.

The questions are grouped under different categories. For each question that you answer with an emphatic “Yes,” give yourself two points. If your answer is “Sort of,” then give yourself a point. A “No” answer gets no points.

Water use and practices

1.  Do you use water-efficient products such as soaker hoses, drip irrigation systems, and rain barrels?
    

2. Are your hoses maintained regularly to ensure their seals are tight and they don’t leak water?

Soil improvement

3. Do you use a soil test kit to determine your soil’s fertility and pH before adding amendments?
    

4. Do you mainly rely on slow release or natural organic fertilizers or compost to improve soil fertility?
    

5. Do you add organic matter to your beds when planting or renewing them?
    

6. Do you recycle your organic yard waste either in a compost pile, or
   through your local municipal program?

Safety

7. If you have old pesticides or other chemicals stored in your garage, have you contacted your local department of environmental protection or recycling center to see if they offer a special program for collecting or disposing of such items?
    

8. There are many environmentally friendly techniques and products to use for weed and insect control. These include vinegar-based sprays and water-permeable fabrics for weeds, and soap-based sprays or a well-aimed blast of water for insects. Do you rely on these and other environmentally friendly products and techniques to control pests?

Tools

9. To meet more stringent federal and local standards on engine exhaust emissions and noise pollution, many manufacturers of power gardening tools have introduced products that are more environmentally friendly. Do you have an electric, battery-powered, or push mower in your garage or shed?
    

10. In many cases, good hand tools are just as efficient as power tools. In addition, using hand tools—such as a rake rather than a power blower—is a good way to get exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. Do you tend to use hand tools rather than gasoline-powered ones?

Selecting Plants

11. When selecting plants, do you take into account your USDA hardiness and AHS heat zones and how well the plants suit the type of soil or site in which you intend to plant them?
     

12. Do you group plants with similar water requirements close together to increase watering efficiency?

Now add up your points. If your score is between 18 and 24, you have a very Green Garage. 12-17 points equals a moderately Green Garage. 6-11 points means you have a borderline Green Garage; and 5 or less points means you may want to seriously re-evaluate the kind of gardening tools, products, and practices you use.

In The American Gardener, the AHS Green Garage® series will cover gardening tools, technology, and strategies—both new and old—that can increase your gardening efficiency as well as enhance your environmental stewardship.