or... is it worth the effort? I guess that depends on how much effort you put into it.
a. Why would one want a lawn in the first place?
A lawn is a very special place to hunt pterodactyls...
or to just lay around when you feel lazy...
a lawn is a super place to have a few friends over for a picnic...
a lawn is a great place to go for a jog...
... or to take a walk... just you and your mom...
A lawn is the very best place to chase a big brother barefoot...
Lawn can be a bridge from here to there...
... and the path that leads to who knows where....
and the cartilage that gently separates the bones of these garden beds.
b. Assuming that 'lawn' is not a dirty word in one's vocabulary (I'm well aware that many feel that it is), how does one reasonably maintain a respectable plot of grass set amongst gardens?
Mulch your grass rather than blowing it to the side or gathering it up. This is one of the best ways to avoid thatch as well as to provide a bit of nutrition to the lawn...
Mow often... unless the grass is dormant, I normally mow two to three times a week. Don't think of it as a chore, but rather as a lovely tour of your property...In fact, design your property with this in mind... mowing is one of my favorite pastimes and I have designed the yard so there is virtually no trimming to be done.
Maintain good edges on all your garden beds... this will increase the appeal of your design tremendously...
Design garden beds in such a way that when they need water in dry weather, the lawn can easily receive it as well...
Keep your lawn lush with inexpensive fertilizers that don't burn such as Milorganite (5% nitrogen). Plan on using this monthly but at least 2-3 times each season which will do the trick.
Don't obsess over weeds... if I start seeing more crab grass than what I can easily pull by hand, every few years I use a pre-emergent herbicide only where needed . This past year I had a fair amount of wood sorrel in a particular area and this will require a pre-emergent as well as a bit of Weed-B- Gon or Trimec for the established weed plants in the lawn, but again, I will only treat the area that has the problem. To my way of thinking, touch-up spraying with a hand sprayer is the way to go, and only when weeds start to get out of control. I don't care for white clover in my lawn, but can accept some. When all I see in an area of perhaps a few square feet taken over by white clover and virtually no grass, I will treat the area and regain control. Yes, these weeds will eventually return... this is particularly the case with gardening in farm country where weed seeds blow in from the fields constantly. Were I to obsess over weeds in the lawn, chances are that I'd damage some of the garden plantings... easy does it is the answer for me... simply try to stay ahead of the problem by spot spraying small areas a couple of times over the course of perhaps ten days for effective treatment. This is something I do perhaps once during the garden season. Also, spot touch-up of dandelions as they appear helps prevent the really big problems that can occur if they are ignored for too many seasons.
For a lush turf that gets complements, the best approach is not mowing too short, avoiding compaction, and providing some moisture if needed... preferably an inch per week... the few weeds that show up will generally be incidental...
The only time I mow really short is as the lawn goes into dormancy for the winter.... come spring, a little over-seeding in thin or damaged areas will take care of those concerns.
I must admit... I like having some nice lawn on our property, although there seems to be less with each passing year and each new garden. It truly does make bare-footed pterodactyl hunting so much more comfortable!
Shine a light on your lawn this season... it can be an important part of a good gardening experience!
Take care, Larry
10 comments:
These photos are gorgeous Larry. You really caught your gardens beautifully by just photographing the grass, a nice plus. Your lawn looks lovely.
Cher Sunray Gardens
Your lawn and garden are simply spectacular..... Thanks for sharing. I also love that tiffany lamp that is on your title board. Awesome!
Informative, beautiful lawn and gardens and cute grandchildren! I enjoyed your post.
Beth
Your lawn looks wonderful Larry! I have very little lawn but I do like what I have for all of the reasons you mention. I also do spot eradication of weeds rather than spraying the whole lawn. I can't wait to see that green again, no snow mold this year if our weather continues!
Eileen
Hi Larry, I love the line that lawn is the "cartilage between the bones of the garden." I agree. It gives your eye a place to rest, especially when there's a lot going on in the beds. We mow often, too, and just leave the clippings on the lawn or put them in the compost. The northern type grasses are such a beautiful green!! I wanted to answer your question about the Tamukeyama maple. I was told that Tamukeyama needs some sun to hold its red color through the summer. Since maples cannot handle any sun in my area, I have to put it in a shady spot, so it will turn green in the summer. I would imagine that your maples can handle at least some sun in your cooler climate. It sure would be wonderful to have the color all season, but I am grateful at least for spring and fall color!
This was great, and a refreshing alternative to all the anti lawn exhortations. I have long wanted to do a post on how much I like my lawn, and it is for all the reasons you said here so well. Love the pictures of kids and people using the lawn! And I agree it is the cartilage that holds the bones of the garden together. Nicely done.
I really dislike mowing, but I'll try your strategy of thinking of it more as a walking tour of the property, maybe that will help get me in the right frame of mind.
I will never see my lawn in quite the same way!
Thank you for that!! :-)
I wish you a very Happy New Year Larry!
I am a former golf course superintendent as well as a fertilizer and lawn care products sales person. I used to be called the "Grass Man", which I suppose has a negative response in many circles. I even own a reel mower. So I am definitely a turf grass fan. However I must also think about using turf-grasses with less input levels and those that use less irrigation. Fertility at the right calendar dates can achieve increased production as well as less inputs. Late fall fertilization can last cool season grassed through July. Warm season grasses are also affected by late fall fertilizing but can feed fall weeds at the same time. The old adage, a dense turf is the best weed control is true. Turf also reduces air conditioning costs as compared to gravel.
Thanks for the info Greggo, obviously from one who definitely knows what he's talking about. I only base my comments on my experience and desire to keep it as simple as possible and yet to enjoy a reasonably nice lawn. I am pleased with my results for the most part and that's why I have to be careful not to allow myself to become obsessed with 'perfect grass'. I probably should make an effort to get to know new varieties of grass that demand less irrigation, in particular, and overseed with them... Larry
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