What could be simpler than moving a lawnmower over the grass? Why would anyone need advice on that? Well, like anything, there’s always more to it than appears at first glance.
Selecting the proper length is always the first puzzle to solve in lawn care. The answer is complicated by the variability in types of grass, average amount of sunshine and rain and other factors. But, in general, the following holds true…
Read the rest of this entry »
It’s only been just over a hundred fifty years since grass was cut with a hand scythe - if it was cut at all. That was about the extent of lawn care then. Now, there are a dozen tools - some hand, some power, that are considered essential for keeping that green carpet in shape.
A lawnmower is the most basic. It’s odd to think of a living organism as needing to be sliced to stay healthy, but as a professional gardener acquaintance once said ‘Grass likes to be cut’. To accomplish that, a good lawnmower is a necessity. Though among the more expensive items in the tool set, if maintained well it will last forever.
Read the rest of this entry »
Apart from your lawnmower, the trimmer or edger may be the tool you use most. Very few lawnmowers will get everything, since most lawns butt up against a wall, patio bricks or have trees in the lawn. As a result, the only way to keep that lawn looking really neat is to finish the job with an edger of some kind.
But which kind?
Traditional edgers are dual blade affairs with a long wooden handle. Despite the aging design, they still do the job and do it well. They require no gasoline, are lightweight and there’s no cord to get in the way. If the blades are kept clean and sharp, they can edge a 20 ft x 40 ft patio or 30 feet of sidewalk in a few minutes.
Spreaders are handy for laying down weed killer, fertilizer and other lawn care products that help you maintain the yard or garden. They come in two basic types - broadcast spreaders and drop spreaders - and you may find it helpful to have at least one of each.
A broadcast spreader itself comes in two different varieties, push-cart and hand-held.
Say ‘art’ and most will think of painting or sculpture. There is a kind of sculpture, though, that takes as its raw material not stone or wood but a living tree. That is the art of bonsai.
From the Japanese word for ‘tree in a tray’, Bonsai is the art and product of shaping trees by careful pruning to produce a miniature tree or bush. Not produced from genetic dwarfs, bonsai are the result of years of patient shaping of ordinary species by master artists.
Read the rest of this entry »
The craft of shaping miniature trees in a small pot first arose over a thousand years ago in China, where it was known as pun-sai.
Even then the variety of individual bonsai was astonishing, as known from ancient drawings. Gnarled, faux-windswept trunks, with sparse leaves to full-flowering miniature blossoming trees dot the historic record.
Read the rest of this entry »
Taking care of a yard is a year round job for some. For those who get a brief break due to snow on the ground, there are still some things you might want to study up on before Spring.
The first thing to keep in mind is that Spring isn’t the only, and not always the best time to do prep work. If you need to re-seed bare patches, just before the first snowfall of the year is a good time to start. The seeds will get worked into the soil by the weight of the snow and lay dormant for Winter.
Becca: Little Green Bees
Well, I’m taking a break from playing in the tropical rainforest that is Pensacola right now so I can confess my seed killing tendencies to the world. At one time, I considered myself a very talented gardener. As I try newer and more difficult things, I’m finding that I have ever so much more to learn! I guess that’s good , right? Otherwise, life would be unbearably boring.
Read the rest of this entry »
