Category: Lawn Care Guide

Lawn Alternatives

From Maine to Florida to California lawns are the most ubiquitous garden feature in the landscape. Turf grasses, however, are rarely a natural occurrence and are extremely high maintenance. Between fertilizer, weekly mowing and other tasks such as aerating, lawns are among the most labor intensive and chemically drenched types of landscapes. While some lawn […]

Ferns

Homeowners with wooded backyards choose ferns for their attractive undergrowth. There are many assortments to choose from. Thousands of varieties of ferns can be found all over the globe. Sizes range from a few inches to as much as 60-feet-tall. Fern plants thrive and grow in woodlands all over the United States. These eye-catching plants […]

Gardening With Heaths & Heathers

Heaths and heather are an easy to grow, flowering evergreen.  Though they are very similar in form, color, and growing habits their winter hardiness is differs greatly.  Heather is much more hardy than heath.  While heather is hardy in zone 5-7, heath does requires at least a zone rated 7-9 to survive year to year. […]

Gardening With Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses are valued in home landscapes for their hardiness and easy care, dramatic appearance and the wide variety of colors, textures and sizes available. Most ornamental grasses are perennials can return year after year.  Annual grasses live for only one growing season, either because of their natural growth or because they are not hardy […]

Lawn Preparation

To achieve a uniform, dense, healthy and low maintenance lawn, proper soil preparation is essential. Lawns require appropriate amounts of sunlight, air, water and nutrients. Too much of one or not enough of another often results in stressed lawns. However, when given the right proportions, the grass will flourish. Well prepared soil encourages deep roots […]

Laying Sod

The fist step is determine which types of grass grow best in your area. Measure the square footage of your planting area to determine how much sod you’ll need for your project. Always prepare garden areas before your purchase plant material, including sod, this will reduce the amount of time the sod sits out. Prepare […]

Natural Lawn Care

Lawns are generally not known for being environmentally friendly. Weed free lawns don’t occur in nature so we spray the them with chemicals, apply all kinds of fertilizers and water them all summer. Some of what many gardeners add apply to their lawn actually kill organisms which are beneficial. There are, however, ways to care […]

Improving A Thinning Lawn

Lawn Restoration There’s going to always be a reason for for the poorly growing and thinner areas in your lawn. However, this is not always obvious and may require you do some thinking to figure it out. Does the soil drain adequately in the thinning spot? Are insects an issue? Are there any diseases or […]

The Shady Lawn

If you’re planning on creating a lawn in shady conditions, species selection is critical.  Not many turf grasses thrive in shade.  Fescues (fine fescue, red fescue, hard fescue) have the highest tolerance and do pretty well.  Usually used in areas of low maintenance and dry than average soils, fescues are quite tough. Mix with some […]

Aerating Your Lawn

Aerating your lawn is important as it allows an easier movement of nutrients, water and air in your lawn. By aerating, you are allowing the nutrients to move further into soil to reach the roots. It also helps your soil to keep water for a longer period of time. Under normal conditions, aerating your lawn […]