When It Comes to My Lawn...
Wednesday May 3, 2006
Is lawn care gardening? I like to think of lawns as a garden accessory. A beautiful lawn can really set off a beautiful garden. But what makes a beautiful lawn and how much time and effort are you willing to invest in it?
What do you think? Which answer best decribes your attitude toward your lawn?
Poll: When It Comes to My Lawn...
- I follow the lawn industry's 4-step plan and always have a beautiful lawn.
- I really should give it some attention, someday...
- Lawn is my spouse's concern.
- I can't stand weeds in my lawn!
- I'll throw down some seed and if it grows, great.
- If it's green, it can grow there.
- View Results
Comments
I think most people who clicked on your links here weren’t aware that this was a poll and that they were voting for a particular item.
I clicked “I follow the lawn industry’s 4-step plan and always have a beautiful lawn.” because I wanted to find out about the 4-step plan. I thought it was the first of a bunch of articles related to lawn care.
Most people who read web pages don’t read every word or sentence, you have to position things in a way so that they can easily tell what something is. In this case, the Poll: part of your paragraph should have been on its own line with space above and below it.
I wouldn’t count that your Poll results will be anything close to what you would expect since the results will be highly skewed with people doing just what I did. If you had a randomized order of answers, you would see far less people click on the first option. If you more clearly marked it as a poll, you would get even better responses.
My main disappointment was that there was no link anywhere on the page that I can see which actually gives me advice on my lawn, which is the reason I came in the first place. If you are going to just post a Poll, your headline should say ‘Poll:’ in it.
As it is, this was a big disappointment.
I agree with the above writer. I too was looking for sound advice on lawn care and am greatly dissappointed that it was not the lawn industy’s 4 step plan. I have gotten varried advice from multiple locations on the proper care of my lawn and was really looking forward to a solution.
I agree with the previous comment exactly. I too, thought this was an article and wondered where the poll selections were. My vote would not have been for the first item on the list so your poll is probably not any where near accurate….
Well that would explain why so many people voted for the 4-step plan and I see so few beautiful lawns.
Sorry for the confusion. I guess I assumed that readers had become used to seeing these polls. I put the poll up because I’ve blogged a few lawn care articles in the past couple of weeks and I’ve gotten emails from readers who aren’t big lawn fans.
The results are obviously skewed, but it will be interesting to see if the tide turns now that I’ve been more explicit about it being a poll.
Again, sorry for the confusion and disappointment. The 4-step plan is the 4 product plan sold by lawn care companies, like Scotts, with 1) a pre-emergent crabgrass killer, 2) Weed & Feed, 3) Insect Control and 4) Fall Fertilizer and Insect Control. The Landscaping Guide has a lot more on lawn care than here at Gardening.
Well, I guess I’m silly, because I understood the poll and also understood that if I want information there are many other places on the web site to look for advice. I also agree with the above comment if so many people follow the four-step program, why are there so many just so-so lawns out there. I am finding out that the more I do to make my yard look good the more my neighbors get involved with their yards. We are not in a competition, but they notice how much better my yard looks (and we just survived two sets of F-2 tornados with lots of downed trees) so they see that it’s not that difficult and they get involved in their yards. It has become a wonderful way to meet the neighbors (we just moved in a little over a year ago) and when I’m working in the yard, people always stop to see what I’m adding, moving, doing, etc. We had a beautiful yard of flowers last year and looking forward to branching out and having more variety and color in the yard this year. It’s too bad that people have to complain about the layout of a poll, it is their option not to take it……thanks for all the helpful information we receive on your site. Keep up the awesome job!!!!!
I just was looking for aplace to follow up on the comment your friend made about violets. I like violets anywhere they grow, along with dandelions and buttercups etc. Even in my “lawn”. They are all uplifting and are a great help in dispelling trhe gloomies of the winter. Thanks for the soapbox to stand on.
I hate weeds in my lawn, has your team, or a reader have any ideas to help me rid of these nasty things, which I can use from my kitchen cupboards, as I have young children, and dont like using strong chemical products. So, I have set you all a challenge!
http://www.recycleworks.org/index.htmlFrom:
How about getting rid of lawns and go with native plants? By reducing the amount of lawn on a site, we will help to reduce water run-off, the amount of water used for irrigation, waste generated from clippings, pollution produced from mowers, edgers and weedeaters, pollution from fertilizers anOne replacement for traditional turf grass is a “wild lawn.” A wild lawn is created out of native grasses, wildflowers, and groundcovers. Native grasses stabilize soil and improve soil quality, increase water infiltration and fertility and recycle nutrients. Their deep and fibrous roots can tap deep soil water, allowing them to stay green year-round. Because of this, California native grasses are relatively inflammable and can provide low-maintenance fire buffers around residences. They also offer a long green forage season that benefits both wildlife and livestock, and can help prevent invasion by noxious alien weeds such as yellow starthistle.
Native grasses provide vital habitat to many species of insects, birds, reptiles and mammals. Their visual texture and beauty make them suitable for a wide variety of residential and urban landscapes. They contribute to sustainable agriculture and add value to both rural and urban areas. After the first two to three years, where weed control is important, wild lawns require virtually no maintenance. You only need to mow it once or twice a year.
I agree that lawns are very ecological, but we still have quite a way to go to convince people that anything less than a tidy, green lawn is acceptable in the front yard. Small steps.
Looks like people may still be accidently clicking the first answer, since the numbers are still high. I’ll have to find away to cancel a vote, for future polls.
But hating weeds is a popular response too. I’m with Barbar on the violets and buttercups, but the dandelions look so ragged once they’re done blooming. I think we’re in the minority though.
Julie, there are a couple of weed controls that don’t include chemicals. Corn gluten kills the roots of emerging seedlings, so applying it to your lawn at the start of the season will kill off any new annual weeds before than can get established. It won’t kill your lawn or the perennial weeds that have already taken root. Obviously you can’t use it if you are seeding a lawn.
Vinegar will kill the leaves of any plant. It may take a few tries to kill the entire plant and it will also kill any grass is touches, but if you have a large area of something like ground ivy, vinegar might be a good choice. There are also several vinegar based commercial products that are stronger and faster acting than home use vinegar.
And finally, there’s always the Safer company and their line of organic weed control.
Anyone else have any suggestions?
Marie–
The loveliness of a semi-wild lawn includes: white and blue violets and dandelions in the spring, clovers, Indian paintbrush, if you mow around it a bit, a myriad of insects and arachnids, and frogs, toads and snakes to feed off the bugs. I set the mower on the highest setting and mow around interesting clumps of evening primrose(a favorite of finches).
So what do I get besides lawn: things to draw, things to photograph, things to study, things to smell, and things to eat.
I use a 2 step program pre-emergent in spring and weed and feed in the fall. If I have weeds I spot kill. My lawn looks good until the real hot season comes. I planted a tree that should help in about 10 years.