Today I'm getting my lawn power raked, which is not something I would normally do. Power raking mostly tears up your lawn and doesn't do much in the way of taking care of thatch; which is what it is supposed to take care of. However, if you are removing crab grass, quat grass, alfalfa, and other pasture grasses from your lawn then over seeding it with new improved grasses, power raking is the ticket. Tomorrow, I will be getting my lawn aerated which will indeed take care of any thatch issues that I have. Provided it doesn't rain this evening and I get a few calm minutes with little wind, I am going to spray any weeds that might still be lingering.
My husband (who is a lawn lover) has taken great pains to get our sprinkler system running and vigilantly sprays for weeds as often as he can. He grew up on a farm, and I think he just likes having the look of a green pasture around him. I don't hold this against him at all, it's his thing and he keeps our lawn looking nice when he can. I on the other hand couldn't care less about the lawn, and find it more of an inconvenience than anything. I long for a low water, low maintenance yard. Someday when we build our homestead, I plan on having 3/4 of the yard that way and one gloriously perfect patch of turf about the size of a volleyball court. We hope to be living on about 20 acres, so Raym's need for pastures will be taken care of. As with so many things in life, you can find a nice balance for everyone in your landscape without compromising the things that bring them happiness.
I see a lot of you doing square foot gardening this summer. I'm excited to hear how it works for you, and I'd love to see pictures. If you feel confident in it, I would love to come interview you and take pictures for my blog so I can help other people who are interested.
I hope everyone reading this will at least try to grow some herbs in a pot this summer. You've still got 2 weeks to get it together, and I know it will be worth all your time and effort. There is nothing quite like eating vegetables and fruits you grew yourself, and nothing quite as nice as sitting and enjoying the summer evenings in a green space you create/maintain with your own two hands.
Now, several tips to keep you on the right track:
1. Containers rock, and you can make them from anything. Use your imagination, just remember to make sure they have good drainage and follow the tips from my container gardening workshop.
2. Less is more. Using more than the recommended amount of fertilizer won't make your plants grow better, and may chemically burn them. Over-watering will kill your plants just as quickly and under-watering. Creating more yard than you can care for is a recipe for insanity. Unless you are going for "berserk redneck design," 50 yard gnomes are not better than 3 good ones. BTW I totally dig lawn nicknacks. This is blunt, but removing excess crap and strange unexplainable rituals from your life will make you a better person.
3. You're not Martha Stewart, and she's a psycho-house-beast anyway. You don't need to fashion an arbor from antique spoons to impress your neighbors. In fact, if you are gardening to impress your neighbors, you're doing it for the wrong reasons and should just put in tennis court. Do YOUR best, and don't worry about what everyone on the block thinks of your yard. Keep it clean, be respectful, and that is more than good enough.
4. Try something new this year, even if it is only a 6" pot full of Black Velvet Petunias (totally awesome flowers, I've got a plant crush on them right now). If you have never fed hummingbirds before, give it a try. If vegetable gardening is too far out of your comfort zone, visit a farmer's market. It's okay to ease into this thing, you can't expect to be a master horticulturist right away.
5. There will be some really nice days soon, remember to make yourself a pitcher of lemonade or sun tea and enjoy them. Grill something great. Play with your kids or pets in the sprinklers. Make a fresh cut bouquet from your flower beds and take them to someone who needs to be cheered up. Share your bumper crop of summer squash with people who don't have gardens. As you sow, so shall you reap :)
I'll post pictures from my reseeding adventure soon...
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