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Lawn Care

The weather here has been damp.

I can't really complain because we are not experiencing floods, but it does get a tad annoying when you can hear the weeds growing.

Google image
Not my lawn by a long shot!


There are breaks in the clouds and I have been able to get out to do some yard work.  Today I mowed the grass...well, the lawn.  I can't really say there is much in the way of actual grass out there.  It is mostly ground ivy, violets, dandelions, and several other weedy things.  The crab grass will take over later in the summer.

I do have clover, white Dutch clover is spreading throughout.  I kind of like clover.  It's good for the soil--fixes nitrogen and encourages earthworms to live in the soil.  Also rabbits are supposed to like it so much they might leave other plants alone.

In spite of the rain and the quick growing, as soon as I mow there are brown patched that make it look as though we are in the middle of a drought.  There could have just as easily been a gravel pit here instead of the neighborhood homes.

In Florida I have noticed places that have little signs in the yards that proudly proclaim them naturally Florida friendly, using all native vegetation.

Think I will make a proud declaration about all the native plants in my yard.  Maybe if I get a nice enough sign, I will be featured in the home and garden section of the local paper.

Comments

  1. I do battle with 3 things in my yard: dandelions, crab grass (in my garden), and clover (everywhere). I am surrounded by neighbors with dandelions, so even though I dig mine out, by next spring there is a new crop. We have no grass, but for some reason, crab grass likes to infiltrate the back garden. I think I got clover seeds in some of my wildflower seeds - if I don't pull some of it, it forms a mat and nothing else can grow. When I die, this yard will revert to dandelions, crab grass, and clover within a year!

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  2. All I can say, Olga, is that we put in our new lawn right before the heavens opened up this spring. The flooding has caused problems, but we certainly didn't have to water the new lawn. And we did have dandelions too (I kind of liked them.)

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  3. I like ground cover. I have pure dirt/ground surrounding my flower beds. I used chemicals to kill a lot of weeds when I first moved here and nothing grew back in the majority of the area. I always look in other's yards for ideas but I've have enough problems keeping the flower beds weeded so have not branched into ground cover yet.

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  4. It's good that you are getting some exercise, though!

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  5. We tore up our lawn two years ago to make a garden. I have no regrets.

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  6. I like dandelions and clover. Really, I am happy to have anything growing that is green. We have quite a bit of clover in various areas and whenever I see a bunny in our yard it is nibbling the clover. I might need to get a sign for my yard too....good idea.

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  7. I like dandelions and clover. Really, I am happy to have anything growing that is green. We have quite a bit of clover in various areas and whenever I see a bunny in our yard it is nibbling the clover. I might need to get a sign for my yard too....good idea.

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  8. I like your sign idea ... and show us a photo!

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  9. with all the drought water restrictions here, everything is getting so brown. It's so sad. :(

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  10. Right now, our lawn is great -- green and lush. However, it won't be long before there are brown spots. The trials and tribulations in our quest for beautiful lawns...

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  11. Our lawn was massacred by Mole Crickets and Grub Worms. It has taken till now to get the lawn to recover. The rain really helped our cause but now it is time to mow. The damaged lawn made it a breeding ground for weeds and crabgrass but I've been using the weed popper and have almost got it under control again.

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  12. One thing about weeds, cut them all the same height, step back and surprise a lawn appears. Besides some of that stuff is edible.

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  13. Even with the drought we are having I have dandelions. They're doing better than the grass! We are down to only being able to water 2 times a week -- Mondays and Thursdays between 6pm and 6 AM. Even the birds miss their sprinkler baths!

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  14. I have a native California plant with tiny pink flowers that is growing like a carpet on my lawn. I love it because every time I pull up a tall nasty weed with a long root it fills in the hole and prevents a new weed from growing. I don't know how it found it's way to my yard but I love it and it will stay. No need to water it either.

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  15. Once every three years we re-seed and fertilize so that we can remember what a lawn looks like. And our rabbits eat clover AND flowers.

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  16. One person's weed... I know the battle can be harsh. I don't blame you for wanting to go native.

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  17. My yard is automatic, it gets no help nor hinderance from me. I like it best when it burns out in August.

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  18. I have no clover here, but dandelions, johnny jump-ups, and catnip are rapidly taken over the bit of the lawn I have. We haven't had the rain so it is drying up - I suspect the weeds will continue to do fine.

    Going natural seems like a good plan. Have a great weekend!

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  19. You crack me up.
    No rain here and we are heading into a week or more of 90 degree temps. Our forests are tinder dry. This is not looking good.

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  20. You crack me up.
    No rain here and we are heading into a week or more of 90 degree temps. Our forests are tinder dry. This is not looking good.

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  21. You crack me up.
    No rain here and we are heading into a week or more of 90 degree temps. Our forests are tinder dry. This is not looking good.

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  22. You crack me up.
    No rain here and we are heading into a week or more of 90 degree temps. Our forests are tinder dry. This is not looking good.

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  23. Oh yes! I say go for it! Dandelions are beautiful and edible anyway.

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  24. We're having lots of rain, last month was dry.
    I love our clover patches, and try not to mow it too low!

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