I bit the bullet

After almost 4 years of struggling with my lawn, I've gone the Bret route and am getting Scott's to come out for their analysis. I will post my results - what they will do, what it costs, etc. after they come out. Stay tuned!

Anyone want a pond?

Penchuck, Here is why you do not want a pond in the backyard.

Pump blows out and you have to get a new one which costs $225 but none of the new ones fit the 2" pipe that is already installed 10 inches underground so you have to go buy a new one of those and dig up all your plants to put it in the ground. Nor do they come with a case around them that keeps all the gunk from killing your new $225 pump so you have to buy something for $100 or rig something up for $10 which you will probably have to replace every six months. While you are trying to get your mind around all of that your wife calls to tell you there is a giant snake swimming in the pond.

I should just fill it in.

Grub/Disease Prevention Time

For those that have yards you want to keep green, we are getting into the time for Fungicide and Grub Control applications. Grubs usually start sometime mid-late June and Brown Patch (from my experience the most prevalent lawn fungus) loves the hot humid weather. The same weather that causes you lawn to struggle.

finally, baseline from the other Staton

check out my weedy yard

Stato-Lewis Baseline May 2009

All,

I created a Picasa web album with our baseline pics. Here's the link.

Enjoy!

Brandon

Deals happening at the Harris Teeter

I found some awesome looking Lenten Roses at the Harris Teeter for $2.50. I have no idea what they were doing there but the price was right.

Sellars Baseline 2

OK, So Brandon wants some new baselines. I was going to wait and do it on the anniversary of my last one but I thought that since it has now been three years since I moved into my house it would be interesting to see how AWESOME it looks.

I posted some pics last March showing you two years later. The blood, sweat and tears is really starting show. (That and a shit-ton of watershed destroying chemicals on the lawn.) Here we go.

From 2009-04-16

Here is the front yard from the top of the driveway. Jacked up back yard...Meet weed killing napalm-based chemicals. The only bummer is that I have to mow it once a week.

From 2009-04-16

This one is from the front door. Here it was last year. I moved the redbud out of the year and into the bed. I also planted two Mahonia and some loropetalum in the front. It is starting to fill in and with the vinca going off the richter, it is going to look great next year.

From 2009-04-16

Here is the back. This is going to take a good 5 years before it is looking right. I took a gamble buying the smaller plants but hey, with the twins coming there is no way I am moving before I die.

From 2009-04-16

My pieris is finally starting to grow. These guys do not need ANY sun. This one is in the shade 85% of the time.

From 2009-04-16

That big gardenia in the middle is hiding two smaller ones I spent $30 each on. They are sucking hard. Last time I buy with no guarantee.

From 2009-04-16

Hey Brandon, There is the tea tree I bought with you. I found a new vein of bricks in the parking pad, washed them off and lined the bed. I am going to find some junk windows to install on the shed and then plant a vine to go up around it.

From 2009-04-16

The hydrangea garden

From 2009-04-16

The pond. I really need to get this ready for spring. I am still looking for something to replace the red tip I cut down in the fall.

From 2009-04-16

Here is the end of the driveway. You can hardly make out the crepe myrtles and hawthorns at the bottom. Those are the ones I bought from Broadwell. The guys who blew my leaves destroyed about 4 of them so I replaced them with ones from Lowes. I replanted to destroyed ones off to the side and they are kinda coming back.

From 2009-04-16

Matt, this one is for you, you flower lovin' fruit. A columbine.

I will put some more up once I get a fresh batch of pine needles down. My mother-in-law is coming for 3 weeks and I think she is going to tackle some of the flower garden areas.

Baseline Pics?

All,

I'd like to attempt to get on some kind of schedule for picture taking/posting of our yards/gardens. Does anyone want to participate? Allen, I know you were interested. How do you want to do it? Monthly?

A New Shade Garden

I put in a new smaller shade garden in the corner of our yard this past weekend. Plants included:

• 2 Leopard Plants
• 2 Bear's Breeches
• 4 Bleeding Heart
• 3 Arum Italicum
• 3 Lenten Rose

Thoughts? I'll post pics soon.

Hostas

I need some help with my hostas. This is year three and last year they were weak. I am thinking about dividing them to make the area thicker but I also want to make them larger. Does anyone fertilize them? What type do you use (acid or what)? Brandon, I am directing this to you because yours were huge!

A Patch of Green - Yankees Sod for Sale - NYTimes.com

I'm considering some of this for my yard. :o)

The Forsythia Lives!

Well, I am not sure how many of you know of my concern for the forsythia that I had planted last spring. I had been driving around and seeing the more established plants flowering and my plants didn't seem to be doing too much. Well, this morning, I took a peek to see if they were doing anything and every single plant had flowers on it. So it looks like they made it through the winter.

Lawn Care

FYI: My lawn care guys came by last Thursday and applied, in a liquid form, fertilizer, post-emergence weed control and pre-emergence crabgrass control. They call this the cycle #1 early spring fertilization. In two months they will be back with the cycle #2 spring application. Now Now. Don't worry. I will also let you know when that happens.

It's almost Spring...

So what is happening in everyone's yards? Can we get a run down of what we're seeing starting to come up/what's not happening that you thought might/etc?

Quality Air

I don't know where avocado plants fall on the scale of producing clean air, but I thought the group would appreciate this.

How to Grow Your Own Fresh Air - TED 2009 Talk

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