LilyMartine

Note to CoolGreenGardens regarding Owen Dell's recommendation for laying landscape cloth to deter nutsedge: I read some years ago that laying six (6) layers of black-and-white newspaper (which, today, no longer uses inks with lead in them) over the area, then putting several inches of mulch on top, will smother weeds. I have done this in my front gardens, and it works wonderfully. Over time, the newspaper will break down, back it its "organic" self. Just a thought to save money and be more natural in the garden.

I live in a northern Ohio suburb on Lake Erie where manicured lawns are expected. My back yard is huge, and I am working to expand my gardens and decrease the amount of lawn there, while leaving enough to exercise my big, energetic weimaraner. :-) My front lawn has been decreased by expanding the perimeter gardens surrounding the house and adding an island, all with trees to provide more shade and reduce pressure from the summer sun. Three years ago, I had my front lawn replaced, due to an invasion of violets that, while pretty in the spring, completely took over. I learned about a Kentucky blue variant from Scott's that was developed in Texas to take more sun and summer heat. Wow! Since that first year of watering to get it established, it hasn't seen a hose, nor has my back yard. In spring, I allow the lawn to reach four inches (max allowed in my community) to get the root system well established, then keep it mowed to three inches. The grass has become a thick carpet. We often go 10 days or more without rain here, and it does wonderfully fine -- sometimes browning just a bit but comes back right away. I've put most of my hoses in a garage sale and water my container plants with a watering can. Former summer water bills ran around $90-$120. I now pay about $37 to $42 a month. Pure, fresh water is such a precious gift. So if you live in a community that demands grass lawns, this, too, is another choice.