The Difference a Lawn Makes

 As many of you know, we've been renovation our backyard. We've been working on it for over a year. We let it go for over five years and the bamboo and ivy that was planted before we bought the place just went crazy!! Shortly after the covid shutdown, I sat in my yard and thought, enough of this!! I want my yard back. Read on to see our evolution, or jump to the bottom for information on planting a lawn.

I've shown you the evolution of the arbor and you've seen the start of my vegetable and herb gardens (updates coming on those!) - and I've told you about the benefits of playing in the dirt! And now I'm going to show you the difference a little lawn makes.

We started with this:

And, after renting an excavator, hand pulling ivy and raking - and raking - and... 

We covered it all with weed cloth and tarps for the winter.

After cleaning up from the fires 

There is no filter on this photo. That's what looking out the window looked like. We were less than 10 miles from the flames.

and the ice storm...

Then in comes Spring - New growth, new plans...

Fall is the best time to plant a lawn. It gives the roots a good chance to establish themselves. We had to wait until Spring. We hired a young ma in our neighborhood to come and do the tilling for us. 

I planted the area heavily with seed (a broadcaster was not enough for the first seeding), throwing handfuls of seed around the area. I gave it a good watering and waited.

And waited. 

As it grew I started to see a real backyard. Not a jungle or mass of weeds, a real yard!!

When it hit about 3 inches high it got it's first mow. I only mowed the top third and allowed the clipping to stay in the grass. As the small pieces of plant matter start to decompose, the mulch the roots and invites the creatures that eat decaying plant matter, like worms, that aerate the soil. All this helps the lawn establish a strong hold. 

I am still pulling bamboo and ivy. That process is going to take years for them to give up, but they are easier to control and I simply mow what's in the grass. 

So take a look - what do you think? Doesn't the lawn really make the yard?

Planting a lawn is pretty easy, it just takes some time and planning. 

1. First, determine the square footage of the area you intend to plant. Our area was not a square so I did some estimating. 
2. Does your area get a lot of sun or shade. We get both so I purchase a sun shade mix. I went to my local nursery and asked for help.
3. After purchasing the seed, till the ground to loosen the soil and give the roots a good chance to get a hold. 
4. Water the ground lightly.
5. Spread the seed as evenly as possible over the entire area. A broadcaster helps to distribute seeds evenly. Be careful, it can over shoot where you want it to go. I also found it didn't cover the area very well for a first seeding, so I did much of it by hand. I also took into consideration the birds were going to eat some!!
6. Tap down the seeds into the soil. 
7. Water well using a sprinkler but not letting it puddle. The seeds will move. 
8. After the grass starts to come up, spread out more seeds, focusing on the bald spots. 
9.  Water regularly. 
10. Do not walk on it for at least the first two weeks. 
11. When it reaches about 3 inches high, give it the first mow. Mow only the top 1/3 of the blades and do not rake them up. The pieces will create a mulch that nourishes and protects the grass.
12. Water regularly the first year.

NOTE: If you plant in the spring like I did, plan on broadcasting a light layer of seeds again in the fall. If you planted in the fall, only reseed where it looks like it needs it. Let it get a little tall before winter sets in.

Have any questions or comments? I'd love to hear them in the comments below!

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