Summer brings with it a whole host of unique sensory experiences: the smell of freshly cut grass, the near-constant hum of lawn mowers on a weekend morning … but just how much impact do such rites-of-the-season have on the environment?  Are there greener options?  And what exactly are the drawbacks and benefits, anyway?

Read on to see what some of our favorite green blogs and websites have to say about the opportunities and challenges of greening your green space:

• At Ecolocalizer.com, Jason Philip highlights an all-too-common lawn care crisis – chemical dependency – as well as some staggering statistics about the environmental impact of lawn maintenance.
• The folks at lowimpactliving.com offer 12 easy ways to modify your lawn and yard care to minimize your environmental footprint.
• Katharine Wroth over at Grist laments her experience with a reel mower.
• Sprig.com recently talked with a team of edible-lawn landscapers looking to green the planet, one yard at a time.

Tags: earthkeeping, lawn care