TORONTO - Front lawns as perfect as putting greens may be a thing of the past across Canada if environmentalists succeed in convincing homeowners and politicians to stop the use of pesticides on private property.

But they may be in for a fight from some homeowners who cringe at the sight of dandelions popping up among the blades of grass. Getting someone to pull weeds is very expensive, that's why people rely on the chemicals, said Vincent Asselin, president of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects.

If people want a lawn which is made up of 100 per cent grass, they'll need a high dosage of chemicals and costly maintenance, he said.

Environmentalists disagree.

We can have golf-course lawns without chemicals by taking care of grass properly and employing natural techniques that have been around since before pesticides were there, said Rich Whate, spokesman for the Toronto Environmental Alliance.

Environmentalists are trying to convince politicians in Canada's biggest city to ban the use of weed-killing chemicals.

More than 30 municipalities in Quebec have passed bylaws restricting the use of cosmetic use of pesticides on private property, with the Supreme Court of Canada upholding their right to do so in a landmark June ruling.

Halifax passed a similar bylaw last August, and Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto are considering doing the same.

Many Canadian cities have phased out pesticides on public property almost entirely.

But homeowners aren't jumping on the anti-pesticide bandwagon, lawncare experts say.

We offered a pesticide-free program and a program with pesticides this year, and 99 per cent of our customers chose the program with pesticides, said Louis VanHaastrecht, president and owner of Dr. Green Lawncare in Mississauga, Ont.

If organics did work, we would obviously use them because it would be a marketing coup for us.

VanHaastrecht said some of the customers who chose the pesticide-free treatment are now calling his company to complain of grubs and weeds.

Part of the problem is (environmentalists) are saying with organic lawn care you can achieve almost the same results, VanHaastrecht said.

That simply isn't true.

One of the things that's often missing in the pesticide debate, Whate said, is information on the alternatives.

Halifax, which is phasing in its private-property pesticide ban over a few years, has more than 100 volunteers teaching property-owners how to care for their yards without pesticides. Tips include using organic fertilizers, letting grass grow a few centimetres longer before cutting it and leaving grass clippings on the lawn.

The response from the public has been great, said Stephen King, manager of parks and natural areas for Halifax, despite the extra amount of work required.

There's no magic solution, King said.

It's going to take some time and some elbow grease.