Susan's Lawn Gardens

There is nothing quite so delicious as cool, green grass under bare feet. Can you design a lawn so this is no longer just a remembered sensation?

Absolutely! Just follow these 4 easy steps…

Step 1: Design your lawn garden…

First of all, thinking “lawn garden” instead of just “lawn” will help you come up with the right design. It’s also much easier to accomplish this before putting the lawn in.

But it’s not impossible to get it right, even after the fact. Executing your design will just take a bit more effort.

Decide how many flower beds you want, where to plant trees and shrubs, whether you want a pond, where the sidewalks and other paths will be, whether to include a fence, a trellis, or even a bridge…

Now, consider the care and maintenance of each of these in relation to the lawn. Will one interfere with the other? Make adjustments now to save problems later while you’re trying to mow…

Here’s a tip to determine the best shape and layout for your lawn… Develop a layout for your lawn that will allow you to mow without stopping or backing up. Avoid sharp curves and corners. Also, remember that borders make mowing quicker.

Step 2: Choose the right grass variety for your lawn…

Ask the local agricultural extension service in your area for a guide on local grass varieties. Choose one of them, or a close match.

Keep in mind that most varieties fall within these two regional categories:

Cool season grass…

This type is usually planted in early fall, or in the spring when soil temperatures reach 50F. These grasses were developed specifically for northern climates. Included are Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass.

Warm season grass…

This type requires soil temperatures of 70F. These grasses are NOT winter hardy in the north… they were developed for southern climates exclusively. Included are Bermuda, St. Augustine, and zoysia.

Not sure which area? If you can’t figure out which region your local area is in, tall fescue could be the best variety for you. It’s known to grow in areas where the two regions merge.

Step 3: Test and condition your soil…

Determine what kind of soil you have… clay, loam, or sand. This will dictate how much conditioning your soil needs. A loamy (crumbly) soil is ideal for lawns.

Here’s a simple tip to tell if your soil is loamy or if it needs conditioning.

Squeeze a handful of moist soil. If it crumbles when poked or touched, then it’s loamy. If it sticks together and barely breaks apart (if at all) when touched, then it has too much clay. It has too much sand if it doesn’t hold its shape when squeezed.

A good rule of thumb (read that as “green” thumb) is to always condition soil. It helps maintain the right texture as well as provide trace elements. Just as important… it provides optimum habitats for earthworms and microbial organisms.

Determine the pH of your soil. The perfect pH for lawn soil is between 6.5 and 7.0… slightly acidic. If the soil is not acidic enough, you need to add sulfur. If it’s too acidic, add lime.

Step 4: Install sprinkler systems…

Design and select a lawn sprinkler system that will reach every part of your entire lawn garden, including flower beds, shrubs, and trees.

Keep in mind that some plants do better when their roots are watered instead of watering overhead. A drip system is a very effective solution here.

Be sure to automate the sprinkler systems so you can maintain a consistent schedule. Lawns require 1 inch of water applied once a week. (Although, in cases of extreme heat you may have to water every 3-5 days.) Monitor the rest of the plants to determine a schedule that meets their needs as well.

If you follow these four steps, you will have a “lawn garden” landscape design. A design that embraces your lawn as a garden – including lawn, shrubs, flowers, trees, paths… everything.

And since you designed it correctly, it will be user friendly!

Susan Nelson Hopkins is a reformed gardener and lawn lover. She is resigned to the inescapable fact that we all must conserve water and do our part to protect the environment. But she has learned that this doesn’t preclude lovely, healthy gardens… and lawns. Her tip… less is more! Check out the rest of Susan’s Lawn Gardens. She is also webmaster of Susan’s Bird Gardens and several more gardening sites and blogs.