I was shocked to discover that those leaves you’re desperately trying to bag up and haul away? They’re actually your garden’s most valuable asset, and you’re treating them like trash! Every autumn, millions of us engage in this bizarre ritual of raking, bagging, and tossing nature’s perfect soil food. It’s time to stop the madness … Read more
Ever scattered grass seed across your yard with high hopes, only to end up with a patchy, disappointing lawn that looks nothing like the lush carpet you envisioned? You’re definitely not alone. The game-changer for your lawn isn’t more seed or expensive treatments. It’s actually about strategic timing and technique that most garden centers won’t … Read more
I was shocked to discover that my grandmother’s picture-perfect lawn wasn’t the result of backbreaking labor or expensive lawn services. Her secret? Two simple ingredients are often overlooked in almost every home. This revelation changed my entire approach to lawn care, and it may just revolutionize yours as well. Why Your Beautiful Lawn Keeps Developing … Read more
This is the first department on lawns that will appear every month in Flower Grower, The Home Garden Magazine. Each month will be devoted to some phase of lawn care—including how-to picture stories and questions and answers. In December, Flower Grower’s monthly guide to “Better Lawns” will be on the lawn problems of Florida gardeners. … Read more
This particular section of our garden, shown in the accompanying photograph, has proved the most persistently satisfactory. Originally, we called it the Thyme Ramp, or simply the Ramp, because it was begun on a straight strip of ground rising slowly between a level lawn and the drywall at the bottom of the rock garden. It … Read more
Grass fertilized in fall instead of spring is less affected by the disease. This has been demonstrated in tests at the United States Department of Agriculture Experiment Station, Beltsville, Maryland, and other lawn research centers throughout the United States. Our short springs are quickly followed by high temperatures, during which conditions are ideal for the … Read more
Seeing is believing! And now, I have seen Zoysia matrella lawn grass growing magnificently in both shade and sun and contrasting parts of North Carolina. It was luxuriant in the sandy soils of the east, in stiff red clay soil in the southern and central areas, and in clay and sandy foam in high mountain … Read more
Lawn-making involves more than doing the right thing. It is doing the right thing at the right time that counts. Autumn is the right time to build a lawn in all of the bluegrass lands, from Roanoke south to Atlanta, westward to Albuquerque, and San Francisco northward. This northern two-thirds of the country boasts lawns … Read more
After the soil for a new lawn has been properly prepared, the next step is to consider the most desirable kinds of grass seed. Although many new gardeners start off with a popularly priced mixture, others have found, through trial and error, that top-quality kinds give the best results. Kentucky Bluegrass For the northern area … Read more
When we first attempt to create a wild garden, how impatient we are with the weeds, only to realize later that many of them have their place. It is not always easy to decide what is a weed or wildflower. I remember how the jewelweed used to infuriate me. I pulled it up by the … Read more