WATER FEATURES:
The sights and sounds of water help to make any setting more relaxing, and there are many choices available for adding water features to your landscape.
A birdbath is the easiest option. Just be sure to place it where you can see it from your home, deck or patio.
Or, if you’re more interested in seeing and hearing water on the move, you may want to consider a wall-mounted fountain. These fountains hang on an outside wall and include a self-contained pump. Because they’re wall-mounted, they’ll be protected from leaves and other debris by your
roof’s eaves.
If you’d like to add a water feature on a grander scale, a landscape pond is the way to go. Whether it’s made from preformed plastic, a plastic liner or concrete, a landscape pond can serve as a beautiful focal point while serving as a home for a wide range of water plants and fish.
With a water feature, you can add a whole new level of pleasure and interest to your property. And remember, water is so integral to nature that it will fit perfectly into just about any landscape setting!
SUMMER LAWN STRESS:
Though the summer season can be a relaxing time of year for some, it can be very stressful for your lawn. Heat, lack of moisture, humidity, insects, and disease are all byproducts of the summer season that can take a serious toll on your turf.
As you walk around your yard this summer, keep an eye out for signs of stress. If your lawn has a blueish-green hue, or if your footprints remain visible in the turf after you’ve walked on it, your lawn may be suffering from stress due to insufficient irrigation or drought. In addition, brown patches of turf or lesions on grass blades are signs that insects or fungus diseases may be preying on your lawn.
Preventative maintenance. A healthy lawn that is well-cared-for will have a better chance of surviving summer stresses. The first step is to make sure your turf is getting enough water.
Your lawn will need from 1" to 11⁄2" of water per week, and you should water to a depth of 6" to make sure enough moisture is reaching the root zone. You can make the most of every drop by watering during the cooler parts of the day to reduce moisture loss from evaporation.
Proper mowing is important during the summer as well. No more than 1⁄3 of the grass blade should be removed each time you mow, and your mower blades should be sharpened three to four times per season.
Fertilization will also help to keep your lawn healthy. With regular applications, your turf will be stronger and better able to fight off insects, disease and other summer stresses. In fact, lawns that receive regular fertilization actually need less water during the summer than lawns that go without it.
PLANNING FOR FALL LAWN REPAIRS
Almost every lawn can use a little fixing up or repairing, and the end of summer (or early fall) is just about the best time to do it.
But just like any other “remodeling” job, it’s best to have a good plan, or blueprint, of what needs doing before you begin. So let’s start with some possible needs:
- Aeration for thatch control
- Spot seeding to fill bare patches
- Slice seeding to thicken the lawn
- Complete renovation to rebuild your lawn from the ground up
There are a lot of reasons why your lawn might need one or more of these renovation services. Some might be due to lack of water through the summer, unseen attacks from insects or disease, heavy foot traffic, or poor drainage. All of these problems can create the need for some repair work.
Remember: timing makes a big difference
If you decide to seed, make sure you time it right. Timing really matters. Try to have seed planted early enough so that your new grass can be mowed several times during the fall. And be sure to use the best possible seed for the most dependable results.
WATER CONSERVATION:
Conservation of almost everything is on people’s minds these days. We think this is all to the good. There are lots of ways to save by recycling, careful selection, and just plain using less.
You don’t have to make your lawn or landscape plants suffer to save water this summer. The trick is to get the most mileage out of the sprinkling you do.
One of the big mistakes to avoid is applying light, shallow sprinklings that moisten the surface of the soil but don’t get much water to the root system. This actually wastes water because the water that is applied doesn’t get used efficiently.
Other water wasters are the sprinklers that can be seen watering the streets and sidewalks in most neighborhoods during the summer. The spray from a sprinkler can be carried away from the lawn by the wind, or the spray head might just need adjusting—either way, asphalt and concrete really don’t need the water.
Too much overlap in your pattern is another water “leak” you can easily plug. Be careful to water all the area, but only once. When moving the sprinklers, allow only a small overlap in your pattern.
Water Saving Tips
- Water only when the soil is dry to a depth of 6-8".
- Water deeply (usually an hour in each spot). Avoid shallow sprinklings.
- Adjust your sprinklers to avoid getting overspray onto drives, walks, and streets.
- When watering, cover each area only once. Try not to create overlap that over-waters parts of the lawn.
- Water larger trees and shrubs very slowly. Let a hose trickle at the base for several hours.
Make every drop count.