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Topics:

gardens, grass, lawns, outdoors, water

Quiz: How Green is Your Garden?

There are many ways to make your lawn and garden more environmentally friendly. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about creating a truly “green” garden.

1. Over-watering your lawn is bad for the environment and for the grass. About how much water does your lawn really require each week?

a) 0.5 cm
b) 2.5 cm
c) 5 cm
d) 10 cm
See the answer.

2. How much water applied to lawns and gardens is lost due to evaporation or run-off because of over-watering?

a) Less than 10%
b) 15 to 25%
c) 35%
d) More than 50%
See the answer.

3. Not all bugs in the garden are bad. Which of these insects are beneficial, in that they eat the pests that munch on your plants?

a) Ladybugs
b) Spiders
c) Praying mantis
d) All of the above
See the answer.

4. Some plants act as natural bug repellants. Which of these flowers will help fend off damaging insects from your tomato plants?

a) Marigold
b) Petunia
c) Black-eyed Susan
d) Sweet alyssum
See the answer.

5. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of pollution emitted by a lawnmower operating for one hour is equivalent to the amount of pollution emitted by:

a) A car driven for approximately 30 kilometres
b) A leaf blower running for 30 minutes
c) An electric scooter driven for 100 kilometres
d) A 747 aircraft taking off
See the answer.

6. On the other hand, a 150-pound person mowing the lawn with a push mower for one hour will burn calories equivalent to:

a) Two scoops of chocolate ice cream
b) Ten carrots
c) Large order of French fries
d) Big Mac
See the answer.

7. Xeriscaping is an eco-friendly gardening practice that involves:

a) Grouping similar plants together
b) Selecting plant species that have low water needs
c) Using recycled water in your garden
d) Growing plants that attract birds and butterflies
See the answer.

8. What do sweet alyssum, thyme, parsley have in common?

a) Tossed together, they make a lovely salad
b) They are attractive to pollinating insects
c) They help keep rodents out of vegetable gardens
d) They are invasive and should be planted in containers only
See the answer.

9. You should plant catnip and garlic if you want:

a) To enrich your soil
b) Natural pesticides
c) To attract cats and ward off vampires
d) A cat with bad breath
See the answer.

10. Who needs air conditioning when you—and your neighbours—have lots of trees? On average, how many degrees cooler are tree-shaded neighbourhoods in the daytime?

a) 1-3°C
b) 4-5°C
c) 6-7°C
d) 8-9°C
See the answer.

11. If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden, you should:

a) Hum
b) Grow watermelons
c) Plant red flowers
d) Add extra fruit to your compost pile
See the answer.

12. Using less water is one way to make your garden more eco-friendly. For drought-tolerant plants that grow well in sunny, dry spots, look for:

a) Broad, dark green leaves
b) Vibrantly coloured flowers
c) Plastic leaves
d) Silver, grey or hairy leaves
See the answer.

13. What do lavender, sage, spearmint and thyme have in common?

a) They flower in late summer
b) They are drought-resistant herbs
c) They attract insect-eating bats to your garden
d) They are the refrain to a Simon and Garfunkel song.
See the answer.

14. Which of the following ground cover plants is a non-native invasive species?

a) Wild ginger
b) Foamflower
c) Wintergreen
d) English ivy
See the answer.

15. Which of the following helps pollen grains move between plants so that they can reproduce?

a) Bees
b) Hummingbird
c) Butterflies
d) All of the above
See the answer.

Answers

1. B

Lawns require about 2.5 cm of water each week.

return to the question

2. D

More than 50% of water applied to lawns and gardens is lost due to evaporation or run-off because of over-watering.

return to the question

3. D

Ladybugs, spiders and praying mantises are good bugs that eat your garden's pests.

return to the question

4. A

Marigolds will help fend off damaging insects from your tomato plants.

return to the question

5. A

The amount of pollution emitted by a lawnmower operating for one hour is equivalent to the amount of pollution emitted by a car driven for about 30 km.

return to the question

6. A

A 150-pound person mowing the lawn with a push mower for one hour will burn calories equivalent to two scoops of chocolate ice cream.

return to the question

7. B

Xeriscaping uses plant species that have low water needs.

return to the question

8. B

Sweet alyssum, thyme and parsley are attractive to pollinating insects.

return to the question

9. B

You should plant catnip and garlic if you want natural pesticides.

return to the question

10. A

Tree-shaded neighbourhoods are, on average, 1°C to 3°C degrees cooler in the daytime.

return to the question

11. C

Plant red flowers to attract hummingbirds to your garden.

return to the question

12. D

Look for silver, grey or hairy leaves to find drought-tolerant plants that grow well in sunny, dry spots.

return to the question

13. C

Lavender, sage, spearmint and thyme attract insect-eating bats to your garden.

return to the question

14. D

English ivy is a non-native invasive species of ground-cover plant.

return to the question

15. D

Bees, hummingbirds and butterflies help pollen grains move between plants so that they can reproduce.

return to the question

Results: How did you do?

11-15 correct: Blooming genius
5-10 correct: Sprouting environmentalist
1-4 correct: Wilting vine
0 correct: Green thumbs down!