More than any other single feature, an attractive lawn expresses the qualities that change a real estate transaction into a home. Such a lawn, however, does not just happen but is created at the cost of time and labor. Principal Causes Of Lawn Failure When a lawn looks neglected, it is normally not because the … Read more
It’s lawn-cutting time as if anybody has to be told. At this time, though, the home gardener realizes more than ever how important it is to have his mower in good working condition. In my travels, I’ve been asked several times about the care of mowers and how to keep them in good condition, so … Read more
If your lawn is ragged, weedy, or has bare spots, now is the best time to renovate it. Poor lawn condition is often due to improper maintenance practices, such as mowing too short, irregular watering, and inadequate fertilization. If you need more than correcting these practices, you can improve your lawn by following a good … Read more
Few among us are so fortunate as to own perfectly level lawns. Most properties have some hills and valleys. Yet, a fairly level land lay is desirable from the standpoint of drainage, appearance, and healthy lawn-growing conditions. When confronted with this problem, I found a simple method that overcame the difficulty with little effort and … Read more
Certain extreme situations in gardening call for specific plants. One such situation is the lawn at a summer cottage. Another might be the lawn area surrounding a swimming pool. Both require a lawn that will be extremely rugged, survive under trying conditions and require little care. Such a lawn could be composed of Meyer zoysia. … Read more
Seed a lawn in mid-August? “Preposterous,” old-time gardeners would insist. “Best time of the year,” would be the reply of modern science. Why are these two directly opposed opinions? Old-timers just took it for granted that grass seed planted in August would not grow—they were so certain that they never tried it. They knew that … Read more
Late summer is usually the best time to start new lawns. Nature sows her seeds now, taking advantage of the cool weather of fall for strong seedling and root growth. Weeds that were a problem in spring have all germinated now, and the seedbed is a little “cleaner” than it was earlier, provided you kept … Read more
Naturalizing daffodils is a delightful hobby for anyone with a plot where the grass can remain uncut until the foliage has thoroughly ripened, disintegrated, or disappeared and pulls away easily from the bulb. If you are fortunate enough to have some thin woodland where the sun can penetrate, striking effects can be created in addition … Read more
What is a good lawn? Standards vary, but certainly, a good lawn, besides having a pleasing and appropriate grade, must be composed of fairly close-clipped, fine-textured turf, free of weeds, scars, and bare areas, and it should be green throughout most of the growing season. In maintaining a lawn of this standard or improving a … Read more
What shall I do about my weed-infested lawn? Shall I spade it and start over again from scratch? If I spade up the whole lawn and carry off all of the crabgrass, will that pesky weed reappear next year? Is there some way to renovate my old lawn without digging it up again? These are … Read more