The very act of gardening brings you more in tune with your environment. During National Garden Month®, National Gardening Association (NGA) encourages everyone to garden wherever they live, and to do so in an environmentally responsible way. Gardens, no matter how small, are a microcosm of the larger environment. Although what we do in our small backyard, container garden, or community garden plot may seem insignificant, it really does matter. Imagine if each of the 82 million households that garden followed environmentally responsible lawn care and landscaping practices, such as growing well-adapted plants, watering and fertilizing correctly, mowing and pruning properly, avoiding invasive plants, using pesticides judiciously, and preserving wildlife habitats. The effect on the overall environment would be dramatic. Based on NGA’s 2004 Environmental Lawn & Garden Survey, we know that more than 19 million home gardeners currently are or are planning to follow more environmentally responsible gardening techniques. To help these gardeners and encourage others, NGA is implementing a list of environmental lawn and garden practices for all Americans to follow.