Lawn care requires a reasonably high amount of attention. While not the single most labor- or time-intensive aspect of the landscapes around our homes, lawn care does require some attention to detail. Regimes concerning lawn mowing, fertilizing and watering face us all with the necessity to try and wrestle with something usually enjoyable, yet often challenging, time wise. I know that from the perspective of one who installs entire lawn and garden systems, from grass to irrigation, seeing my product taken good care of means I will have a sense of pride and design ownership for long years

Generally, I install places and then leave. I acquaint clients with the systems of course and generally leave a sheet with instructions and tips. I also recommend certain lawn care professionals. For me, I generally recommend Tru Green – who have provided great services for me over a long period of years. I realize the actual amount of time couples and families have for the work. Installing the landscape itself is a chore some folks take on by themselves. Obviously, I make my living with those who are reluctant to take on such high-energy, high labor tasks, especially in newer homes. In this day and age when everyone is necessarily busy making a living, it can be a delight watching someone else provide your lawn care services at reasonable rates.

And, before I pound the lawn notion into the ground, businesses who provide lawn care also provide analyses of tree and plant issues. Being the professionals they are, they have a professional interest in seeing every growing thing in a landscape do well. It is not only a reflection on them, it is just good business. These lawn care pros can analyze issues such as diseases, pests, and over- or under-watering issues in the midst of their daily routines and recommend some easy cures.

My interest is in seeing a home owner’s investment pay off in beauty and natural enjoyment of their landscapes. Lawn care and what good attention to detail and progress can provide is the real secret behind good-looking and long-lasting landscapes.

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• How to seed and fill in bare and thin spots in your lawn

Overseeding a Lawn

The goal of most lawn mavens is to show a thick, lush cover of green foreground, welcoming any and all to a home where one cares greatly about his appearance. I could make a long, long list of guys and gals to whom this means something magical and serves a vital role in their well-being. Sure, some are a bit “out there” and darn near obsessive with it all. It happens!

In the end, a lush lawn is, by any criterion, gorgeous to look at and improves such things as air quality and the maintenance of dust control for a home. What we often overlook in the maintenance end of any lawn is a certain “tired” nature a lawn can acquire after a period of years. It is for this reason the entire notion of “overseeding” takes place. An informed sprinkling of grass seed over an existing lawn is never something to overlook. It is one chore which may be the easiest of all toward maintaining a healthy lawn. It also allows the introduction of new species of seed to augment or to ameliorate existing conditions, leading to an improved stand of grass lawn. Whether we are looking for an improved substance to walk on or one which may be, say, more disease resistant, overseeding allows this function.

Typically, overseeding commences with a real low mowing of the existing lawn – at a severely low setting. Seed is then sprinkled over the entire lawn, with some manual raking with a grass rake to follow. This “bedding” of the seeds allows contact with soil and some protection from elements while the germination period transpires. It also allows a couple of weeks between mowings, which we would do without a catcher.

Naturally, watering the new seeds is required on a very regular basis, either by one’s own devices or by rain. But attention to this detail is fairly vital. In the end, what one finds is a far lusher stand of lawn than before, with an improved top, lush as when it was initially installed, if not more so. A gradual shifting from here can tale place, in terms of the grass chosen. Bear in mind many types of grass combine exceptionally well.

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I bet the biggest debate in the yard care world is “is it better to mulch my clippings or catch them in the bag?” In fact, in my years in the lawn care industry, I have had customers swear by one way or the other and they just would not listen to reason! Let me break this down for ya ok?

Why Mulch Clippings When You Cut

Mulching lawn mowers are ones that clip the grass blades and then grind, slice and cut the pieces into super fine bits before dropping them back into the lawn. This is a very good and “green” practice because you are literally recycling the clippings back into the yard. Remember, 90% of the grass blade is water and the rest is organic nutrients. When you mulch with a properly powered mulching mower, those small clippings dry and shrivel up withing hours and drop their precious nutrients right into the lawn.

A common misconception with mulching is that doing it over and over all year will contribute to a lawn thatch buildup. This is a complete fallacy as I mentioned above, the clipping shrivel almost immediately. Now I will tell you that many homeowners go wrong by trying to convert a non-mulching mower into a mulching mower, and this is asking for problems.

What I mean is they take a cheap, bagging mower and take the bag off and let the clippings fall as they may. Problem here is the mower does not have a mulching blade so clumps drop out! Those clumps will contribute to thatch and kill sections of the lawn! ouch!!!

Another big issue I have seen is that people buy underpowered mulching mowers. Even if you have a mulching lawn mower with a good mulching blade, if it does not pack enough RPMs the bits will fall out in clumps. I dunno why, but many companies make mulching mowers that are just not powerful enough for thicker lawns. I always recommend you get a mulching mower that is a minimum of 5 horse power. This will be enough!

Wait, there are more things to consider: Even if you have a good mulching mower with plenty of power, if the lawn mower deck is not deep enough, the clippings will still fall out too quickly and clump! You want a deep deck!

That’s a lot to consider, so what is the best mulching mower? Look.

Why Catch Grass Clippings

Now that I have hopefully convinced you to mulch, there are a few situations where it will be best to catch and the first one is if your lawn mower is not able to mulch correctly (like I already talked about above). If you can’t go buy a new mower, then just keep catching, but DO NOT try and convert your mower… it ain’t gonna work and it’s a safety hazard anyway!

When to Catch Grass Clippings

I do want you to catch the clippings when you notice a lawn fungus or disease present. If this happens, you want to suck up the clippings and get rid of them. No sense is spreading the spores around. In addition, you need to catch if you have let the lawn grow too tall between cuttings. This can happen if you go on vacation in May, for example, and the lawn overgrows. In this case, even the best mulching mower will leave clumps, so you should catch the stuff just to be safe.

I also recommend you catch at least every 3rd or 4th mowing and use the grass clippings as mulch around annual flowers in your garden. Grass clippings will do a nice job of holding in moisture around annuals. I don’t think grass is a good mulch for regular shrub beds, but it works well for annual flowers.

So what do you think? Wanna argue with me? Go ahead, I’m good with it… maybe you guys can give me some better tips?

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How to seed and fill in bare and thin spots in your lawn

Spring and Fall are the best times to fill in bare and thin spots in your lawn with grass seed. Any area the size of a basketball will probably fill in on it’s own by the end of summer if you fertilize, water and mow properly, but for larger areas, fresh grass seed can help speed up the process. Keep in mind, if you are going to plant grass seed, you will use these tips for large or small areas. First, choose the right seed for your lawn by reading this article.

3 Keys to Growing Grass Seed

1. Moisture: it seems obvious, but no plant can grow without proper watering. This is especially true with grass seed, as the moisture triggers the actual germination process. The secret here is constant moisture. Allowing the seed to dry out in between waterings will kill it. Grass seed germinates at different rates. Ryegrass sprouts in about 7 days, whereas Bluegrass can take up to 2 weeks … BE PATIENT!
2. Seed-to-soil contact: The seed must be wrapped in soil. The soil beneath is used for rooting, and the soil above supports the young sprout as it reaches for the sky. Soil also retains moisture and heat.
3. Heat and sunlight: Temperatures must be above 40 degrees at night in order for most grass seed to germinate. Ideally, temps will be in the upper 50s and lower 60s during the day. Sunlight is important because the young seedling needs to create its own food through photosynthesis so it can keep growing. The energy stored in the seed is only enough to give it an initial push.

The pictures below illustrate the seeding process. In this example, I am using Scott’s Tall Fescue blend seed and Scott’s Lawn Soil as a seed covering. Normally, landscapers use a slurry mixture of peat moss and top soil in equal parts to cover the seeds, but Scott’s now sells their “lawn soil” as a seed covering which saves you the hassle of mixing.

Another very good quality grass seed is the Eco Lawn Fescue seed sold online. It is cold hardy and can be grown in sun or shade with outstanding results!

The lawn soil bags are $3.50 each at Menards. One bag is enough to cover an area 3 feet by 3 feet when seeding.

Here are 2 other articles that relate to this one if you care to learn more.

“Grass seed types for your lawn”

“Growing Grass in Heavy Shade”

Below are a couple updated pictures taken just 2 weeks after the above pictures. You will see the germination is very favorable.
Keep in mind that quality seed is very important!

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If you want your garden to provide a sense of peace and tranquility, adding some simple Japanese style landscaping ideas will make your goal easy to accomplish. Whether you have a small patio garden or a huge landscape, you can incorporate Japanese style elements into your garden.

In general, Japanese style gardens do not contains a huge variety of plants or a rainbow of color. They are not perfectly symmetrical, nor lavish. They are, however, elegant and timeless and bring a welcomed break from the hustle and bustle of daily life in the modern world. They are places for meditation, contemplation, and thought. This style of garden is enclosed or screened from the outside world through the use of plants, fences, or berms.

Scale And Perspective

Look at the space you wish to use for your Japanese style garden. Scale and perspective are the main techniques used to create a sense of size, space and distance in the garden. You can achieve this through illusion, adding a false sense of perspective, by planting gradually smaller trees or plants farther from the focal point of the garden. If you have water features in your garden, choose the largest for the foreground. Water fountains or a water fall can be a very affordable way to add a peaceful sound to your Japanese style garden.

Add Japanese lanterns and pagodas to your garden, but be sure they are in proportion to the plants and other elements surrounding them.

Rocks in a Japanese style garden take on special meaning. They aren’t simply rocks or boulders but can be the backbone of your garden, around which other elements will fall into place. They represent islands, mountains, and holy places. A boulder can be partially buried to add mass, height, and a feeling of stability to the Japanese garden. Small stones can be used as the borders for pathways or to create the bottoms of water features. They can be used as stepping stones to actually create a path or to cross a small stream. If used to define a pathway, allow the path to wander rather than going in a straight line.

Sentinel Stone

Another use of stone in the [Japanese] style garden is the sentinel stone. This standing stone is used to symbolize warriors, deities, heroes and guardians. It is usually found at the entrance to a Japanese garden or at a major focal point where its presence will enhance the garden’s atmosphere. This type of stone can even be used in an otherwise flat Japanese landscape.

Choose a few Japanese style elements to include in your garden landscape to provide a peaceful place to sit and relax. An austere garden can easily be converted into a Japanese style garden with very low cost and a huge payoff in enjoyment

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Simple Landscaping Ideas

Home is where your heart is. It is the place to go when you want to relax, have fun and do what you want. You will want every place in your home to be attractive – just the way you want it. This applies to your yard as well, and considering that your surroundings affect the way you feel, the appearance of your yard is of great importance.

Landscaping is an art. It is a place that contributes to the tranquility of your surroundings. Landscaping helps you achieve the aesthetic quality you desire for your garden and/or yard.

Landscaping does not need to be done by a professional design team. That is the beauty of it. You and your family, including your children can help assist in designing your surroundings for a more family type environment.

Here are some ideas to start you off.

You might want a garden, full of blossoming flowers, something that encircles your whole house. This is great since it will serve as the perimeter for your landscaping project.

Other ideas include assigning spots for other family members. Your children will want a play area where they can run and play with their friends. You might consider planting a shade tree to protect them from the harmful effects of extended exposure to the sun.

Another point to consider is an area your older children (or you and your spouse!) can use to play sports, grill some steaks or just relax in a chair and get the tan you desire. This is an important feature for your yard because you can consider it a place where you have fun and just relax.

Other areas should also be reserved for drying your clothes (if you choose not to use a dryer, for trash cans, and for your pets. These areas should be as close as possible to your house for easy access.

To be more artistic and aesthetically appealing, be prepared to use basic landscaping materials such as rocks, pebbles, trees, lawn and fences. These will help you achieve the view you want people to see and the functionality that a basic yard needs.

Perhaps a good thing to remember when designing your own yard is that you and other members of your family have artistic capabilities too. Remember that your homes yard requires a familys touch so youll be proud to say that you have created your own yard.

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