Garden centres are heaving with activity and it’s not all about selling plants and pots. Fertilizers and pesticides are on top of many a gardeners shopping list, too, especially at this time of year.

I’m sure you’ve already heard a lot of rumblings (both pros and cons) about using chemical additives to ultimately increase the beauty of our lawns and flower beds. Is it me or are the don’t-use-’em rumblings getting way louder?

You have to wonder. Are we about to see a big change in the way we use additives in the interest of protecting our health and the health of the environment? That change would have to include a new definition of a beautiful lawn and garden.

Here’s an indication that maybe we’ve just gotten a lot closer to the tipping point: Early this year, The David Suzuki Foundation and Equiterre successfully sued the Government of Canada, forcing a review on the approval of up to 383 pesticide products, many with links to cancer and water contamination.

To put this news in perspective, read The Toxic Brew in Our Yards, by Diane Lewis, a physician and founder of The Great Healthy Yard Project. Recently published in The New York Times, it’s a fast and mindset-altering point of view. The video is an easy watch and equally thought-provoking.