My DH has often referred to himself as Chamberlain and me as Hitler: I keep demanding more land, and he just gives it up.

In this case, more of his lawns for more of my gardens. The man actually enjoys lawn care and is quite proud of the results, and, in fact, his lawns can get as much attention from passersby as my perennial beds do.

But there is a growing anti-lawn sentiment in this country as the impact of weed-killing and heavy feeding on the environment, especially on waterways, is made known. And, face it, lawns don't do much but take up space.

Continue reading "The grass isn't always greener" »

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Lawn care
        

More lawn tips from Stuart Franklin of Lawn Care Simplified, a Web site that has all the information you will ever need about how to take care of your lawn. Franklin is also the author of Building a Healthy Lawn: A Safe and Natural Approach, available through Amazon.com

1. Start the season with a sharp blade.  Dull mower blades tear the grass instead of giving a nice clean cut. 

2. Give the lawn a light raking to remove debris and lift up matted grass and (in the North) snow mold damage.  Snow mold, a lawn disease, occurs on most Northern grasses, especially the creeping grass types.  It is worse when there has been alternating snow cover and warm periods.  Most snow mold will disappear by mid spring if you fluff it up a bit so air and sunlight can get to the soil.  Try to stay off the lawn as much as possible if the ground is soggy.

3. Seed bare and thin areas early. You want the grass thick before the weeds start sprouting. Use the correct seed type for your area and your particular lawn. 

4. Make your first short – as low as you can mow without scalping the lawn- perhaps 1 – 1 ½ inches high. Do this only when the grass is just starting to grow - not if it is already growing vigorously.  This short mowing cuts away some of the dead grass left over from the previous season (if you left it too high).  It also helps warm up the soil faster, stimulates growth, and allows more sunlight to reach the newly forming grass blades. 

5. Gradually raise the mowing height after the first cut.  Click here to visit our All About Mowing posts.

Photo credit: Scotts Miracle-Gro

Continue reading "More about lawns: 9 tips to green season" »

Posted by Susan Reimer at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Lawn care
        

I know there are homeowners who are crazy about their lawns. I am married to one. To me, grass is just the blank canvas against which my flower gardens stand out so beautifully. 

But in the interest of fair play, we will occasionally address lawn issues here on Garden Variety.

Here is a question and answer session with the folks at Toro about your lawnmower.

One more tip from us - Do not decide to mow the lawn 30 minutes before your wife is expecting her dinner guests to arrive.

·      Check mower blades for sharpness.

·      Make sure the cutting deck is cleared of old clippings.

·      Check pull cords to insure they are not frayed and are in good working condition.

·      Check that attachments are connected and working properly.

What type of fuel do I use in my mower?

The most important thing is to use fresh fuel. Fresh is defined as fuel that is less than 30 days old.

Today's gasoline does not have the same chemical makeup as years ago. Testing has shown that significant deterioration can begin in as little as 30 days. The first sign that your gas may be old is it makes starting more difficult. This is because the most volatile components of the fuel - the ones that help an engine start easily - are the first to deteriorate.

The recommendation is to use a national name brand fuel with an octane rating as close to 87 as you can. Higher octane fuels offer no benefit for residential products. Do not use unapproved fuels such as E-85.

Continue reading "Lawn? Yawn!" »

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Lawn care