This is rather embarrassing to admit, but our lawn is a disaster. Some horrible fungus took over during the last two years, and when we had a lawn service come to tell us what they would have to do, he looked at me and said, “You need to start over!” They can’t really just spray our lawn because if they killed off all the weeds, there would only be dirt. Yes, feel my pain.
Here’s few FREE tips from Ben Hamza, Ph.D, director of technical operations of TruGreen to prepare your yard for a healthy summer.
- Clean Area: Thoroughly clear dead leaves and debris from flower beds and lawn that may impede new spring growth.
- Prune: Conduct corrective pruning of trees and shrubs to enhance plant appearance and vigor, and thin rather than top-shear overgrown shrubs and trees to preserve their overall shape. Make sure not to prune trees and shrubs that bloom in early spring, with the exception of removing dead branches.
- Mulch: When your lawn is actively growing, return grass clippings back to the soil for added lawn nutrients and consider using composted materials to nourish plants. Apply three inches of organic mulch to base of shrubs and trees to help conserve soil moisture and to reduce weed pressure, but be mindful not to cover the flare of the tree base.
- Right Plant, Right Place: Plant the right type of grass for your lawn to ensure a green, healthy turf. Where grass has difficulty growing, plant shade-adapted ground covers for landscape appeal.
- Feed: Spring lawn, tree and shrub roots seek nourishment after the dormancy of winter. Keep fertilizer on target to prevent run-off and sweep fertilizer granules that may reach pavement back onto your lawn. Use a trained professional company, such as TruGreen, that offers customized solutions to lawn and landscape problems based on your region’s needs.
- Check Irrigation: Follow the owner’s operating manual to take an automated sprinkler system out of hibernation. Ensure sprinkler heads and related water lines are working properly. Give your lawn a slow, steady watering about once a week, but adjust depending upon rainfall, grass and soil type in your area. Also ensure the irrigation system covers your landscape efficiently. For example, you can place a one-inch deep food can in the middle of the lawn area to measure the depth of water collected after each watering cycle to ensure uniformity.
- Protect Against Elements: The beautiful blooms of spring are vulnerable to frost. With an expected cold snap, cover flowering plants before the sun goes down to maximize heat trapped by the plants. Create a tent of warmth with plastic tarps, cardboard, bed sheets or special plant frost protection blankets available at your local nursery or home improvement retailer.
Interested in creating a Outdoor Oasis? I bet you could with $25,000! TruGreen is celebrating real stories for creating your ideal outdoor living room by offering the TruGreen TruStories Sweepstakes through October 16, 2011. One Grand Prize winner will win a $25,000 MasterCard gift card, which would be perfect for creating your perfect outdoor space. There are other prizes too. See complete details www.TruGreenSweepstakes.com/win.
To get kids interested in the diverse plant world, TruGreen has collaborated with Memphis Botantical Garden to launch My Botanic Planet. This is a FREE (we love FREE) online educator resource to inspire elementary students interest in the plant world. Visit www.mybotanicplanet.comto access lessons in botany and related games & activities for your child.
How would you like to win a $125 TruGreen gift card?
One Balancing Beauty and Bedlam reader will win a gift card, which is good for approximately two TruGreen treatments for lawn, tree, and shrub care.
There are multiple ways to enter (up to 4 entries total on my giveaway), but only one entry is necessary.
* Be sure to enter a separate comment for each method of entry (one comment for Facebook, one comment for Twitter, etc.). You may leave up to four separate comments.
1. Comment – How is your lawn growing this summer?
2. Subscribe to my site by email or in a reader. (If you do already, thanks, just let me know in the comments.)
3. Follow me on Twitter,then tweet the following message, Hi @beautyandbedlam is giving away a $125 Tru Green Gift Card https://beautyandbedlam.com
4. Friend my Balancing Beauty and Bedlam Facebook Fan page. (let me know in the comments.)
I received a gift card to review, and one to giveaway. Entries for this giveaway will close on Monday, June 12 @ 3p EST. The winning entry will be selected via random.org. The winner will be contacted directly and must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected.
We just spent A LOT of money to fix our front yard after it was destroyed by digging this winter. It’s doing pretty good but still needs some maintenance.
Our front yard is growing pretty decently, but our backyard is almost ALL weeds! We need some serious help!
And I follow you on Google Reader!
Our lawn always needs help
I’m a subscriber
My grass is patch across my yard. I would love lush, thick grass!
Our lawn looked good as we headed into spring but now that we’ve had 10+ days with temperatures over 90 and no rain, it is really struggling. We could use a helping hand.
I’m a GFC follower!
Our front lawn was a MESS early this spring, luckily the hubs has been working tirelessly to fix it up…he’d probably jump for joy to have TruGreen come help him out! : )
My lawn has been growing, but so have the violets!
With all the rain we had this spring, our lawn looks pretty decent so far.
I subscribe via reader.
I like you on FB.
Our lawn is suffering, due to the drought here in TX. Watering, the lawn is trying, but we need desperate rain! It costs too much $$ to run the sprinklers ALL the time.
I subscribe through a reader.
We have a terrible time getting grass to grow in certain areas! Plus a lot of shrubs and weeds that need removed. We have a big hill in the backyard which makes the bottom of the backyard pretty much wet all the time.
I subscribe via google reader!
I like you on FB!
our lawn sounds very similar to yours: it’s all dirt because we killed all the weeds! ugh, i hate it.
thanks for a great giveaway!
We bought our house in the fall and had to start over with the lawn–leveling, add soil, planting grass and trying to get it to grow. It was looking great, but has taken a turn for the worse. 🙁 Still hoping it starts to get better again.
I am a follower. 🙂
Well the summer killed a lot of it, but it is coming back thankfully!
I’m a google reader
your fb fan (J Cochrane)
I also like you on Facebook. 🙂
http://twitter.com/#!/Lovesmytwoboys/status/78459670028759040
it’s so-so and could really some help!
We’ve had such a WET spring that our lawn is GREEN and great right now, but when the heat of the summer hits us, that’s when it’s not so great.
I’m a facebook friend, too.
Our lawn needs help!
I subscribe via RSS
Our yard was completely overgrown when we moved in. We’ve got the shrubs and plants under control but the weeds are still bad.
OMG my lawn is in very bad shape we are trying to get it straighten out now just got our house redone and bought in some dirt for the bare place we are going to reseed to whole front an both side yards .So this would be great if I win thank you for the chance .
I subcribed by e-mail thanks
Well, we have a new house…and thus, no grass yet! But this gift card would certainly help us get that started! 🙂
I subscribe via Google reader!
I am a fan on facebook!
hey I ‘m following u on twitter and I twitted about ur giveaway too
OH also I’m a like u on fb and silly me hit the share button 2 anyway thank have a gd day
My lawn gets a lot of shade, so it is very difficult at times to get much grass growing, but we are trying! 🙂
I am a facebook follower.
I’m an email newsletter subscriber.
My lawn is starting to get dry with no rain!
I’m a facebook follower and email newsletter subscriber.
Well the lawn is green, but not all that green is grass…some clover, some weed things…ugh
I subscribe to your daily email
I like you on facebook
We’re trying to water at night, when the sun’s much less severe.
I subscribe in a reader.
Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/dopeymouse05/status/78485842078875649
I like you on FB.
We could use some help with our dirt/grass pad.
We just spent this past weekend getting rid of our weed jungle and planting some new things around the house, so that looks MUCH better. However, the grass in our yard is pretty sparce…could definitely use some help!
We’re fb friends
Whew. Our lawn could definitely use this. Maybe they could help up defeat the weeds that are battling the grass and winning.
I already subscribe to your blog (and love it)!
I also follow you on FB.
Our lawn is.horrible .we don’t.have much grass were planning on planting grass seed In the fall
Since its so hot right now, its starting to turn brown.
Dirt spots in the back could use some work.
Email subscriber.
I would LOVE to win this!
our yard is horrible right night
email subscriber
followed and tweeted
facebooked it………
Our lawn is in terrible shape – not growing well at all – mostly weeds. My garden, however, is doing splendidly!! LOL. Would love to win this!! WE NEED HELP! haha!
Just subscribed through e-mail!
Already a fan on facebook!
I lawn seems to be quite green, but has tons of Dandelions!
I follow you on email.
I am one of your facebook fans.
I’d love to win this for my husband. It’s a constant battle against the crabgrass here.
And I already subscribe and follow you on Facebook. 🙂
It has been so hot, I pretty much have a dust bowl for a lawn!
My lawn always needs help
I follow you on email.
follow you on Facebook.
We need our lawn taken care of. This would really make my husband happy!
My lawn is need of repair. One side is very dry, one side is full of moss, and the front is full of weed. Hey, the back is doing good – one out of four.
I am a fan on FB.
I follow you via reader.
Our lawn needs some work! We have to constantly keep it watered to keep it alive, or it goes dormant. We hit 100 degrees here in WI yesterday, and our law is dead in spots already, even with the watering.
Why does growing grass seem to challenge so many? We too need to work on areas of our lawn. Weeds are invading & if I kill them off it will be dirt. 🙁
I subscribe to RSS feed through google reader.
Our lawn is green but I don’t think any of it is actually grass. 🙂
I’m an email subscriber. Thanks!
I “like” your Facebook page
It sounds like bragging and it probably is but our front lawn is very pretty. The back yard we leave plain for the boys.
Nancy
I subscribe through your email
Nancy
Our grass isn’t too bad however something is killing the hedges, we could so use the help on this one. Thanks!
I subsrcibe to emails 🙂
I follow on facebook 🙂
Our yard is so sad this would be a sweet deal!
I am a friend on facebook
I subscribe by email
There are soo many ways to have a green lawn. have you tried non-chemical ways to have a great lawn?
Our lawn would be doing much better if we had some rain!
I am an email subscriber!
I like Balancing Beauty & Bedlam on Facebook!
Compared to early spring, our lawn is doing much better this summer….lots of work still yet to be done : )
Our lawn is growing great, if you count weeds as lawn 🙂
We have been doing a lot of yard renovation this year…building retaining walls, digging trenches, etc. The lawn is splotchy at best, at this point.
our lawn is growing but it’ not green (and i’d love it to be!). we could so use this!!!!!
i like you on fb!
Our yard….. Well it is not pretty. Built the house 2 years ago and the grass is still not lush. We have dandolines like you can not imagine and nothing we try seems to work.
Email subscriber too
Horribly…we’re a bit stingy with water 🙁
email subscriber
tweeted @fauxpaus
fb fan (jen matthews)
Our yard is looking fantastic thanks to my husband’s green thumb!!
I’m a facebook friend!
I’m a twitter follower and I tweeted this giveaway!
I am an email subscriber! Thanks!
I am a friend on Facebook
I follow you on Twitter
Tweeted about your giveaway…
My lawn is growing – only the weeds are too!
I subscribe through Google Reader
My lawn is not growing well!
I subscribe to the e-mail.
I like your facebook page.
We bought our house 1 1/2 yrs. ago. It was a rental so not much was done to the exterior. Last year we painted and did some landscaping. This year we hired TruGreen to help the lawn along. Love them so far but a g.c. would sure help!
Our lawn is doing alright…its very bumpy though and I wish we could resurface it.
I am an email subscriber
I follow you on facebook
My lawn is growing tomatoes and herbs
follow (cistran) and tweet: http://twitter.com/cistran/status/78751825276313600
your FB fan (trung nguyen)
email subscriber
my front yard is looking great, needs more work on the backyard
i am an email subscriber
i follow you on facebook
I follow you on Twitter and retweeted…..
Hahahah i wish my lawn was growing this summer. I have several large oaks and I fostered a puppy for a friend.. so what grass I had is gone… we are in the midst of an extreme drought so i am hesitant to plant more seed right now because we aren’t allowed to outdoor water… so I think my dreams for a plush lawn will be waiting til summer cools off…
i subscribe in a reader
I follow you on facebook
Well, I try to do all of the above with my yard and it does look better. The worse problems for me are the dog (everywhere she pees, the grass turns brown and dies.) and those darn moles. Has anyone ever seen Caddyshack? I would love to blow up these darn moles…hahaha!!!! I love getting your e-mails.
If we could get all the moss out it doesn’t look too bad. Still nice and green from all our rain here in Oregon!
So far lawn is ok but we have some spotty areas we would like to fix up!
I follow you on Twitter and tweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/alittleumbrella/status/78903167835848704
My Twitter ID is @alittleumbrella
I like you on Facebook.
{facebook.com/a.little.umbrella}
I am a subscriber via RSS
For now, our lawn is okay, but I worry when my husband deploys, I won’t be able to keep it as nice. I’m not very good at weed eating, lol!
I subscribe via email.
I tweeted the giveaway: http://twitter.com/#!/steph4575/status/78927294235820032
I like you on facebook, name: stephanie hirsch
steph4575 at msn dot com
Pretty good, the grass is getting to long haha
I subscribe by email
following and tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/superschaley/status/78968946354696192
I like you on facebook
It is growing so fast!! Too fast!
Our lawn is full of clover. We have clay soil & weeds grow better then grass.
I follow you on FB.
I subscribe via email.
the lawn isn’t ..
we havent watered in forever.. but we dont really care right now
lked your facebook page
Our lawn is in desperate need of help. It has plenty of areas where there is no grass and truthfully most of it is more than likely weeds. It is in sad shape.
I am also an email subscriber.
Our lawn is fairly pathetic, especially on the side (where it is more a mud hole than a lawn). Ugh.
so far, not well
Our lawn is brand new- and needs more rain!
I am an RSS subscriber
I like you on Facebook.
My husband and I are buying our first home in 3 weeks and I don’t know how much help our lawn will need yet!
I follow you in Google Reader.
1. It growing okay, it is recovery from the lack of attention (emscout9 at Hotmail dot com)
2. I am a friend on Facebook (Paul T…….emscout9 at Hotmail dot com)
3. I followed you on Twitter and tweeted about the giveaway @emscout9 (emscout9 at Hotmail dot com)… http://twitter.com/#!/emscout9/status/79653430548893696
4. I am an email subscriber (emscout9 at Hotmail dot com)
After a long harsh winter, my lawn is finally starting to come around!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
I’m an RSS subscriber via Google Reader.
coriwestphal at msn dot com
I like you on Facebook: Cori Eckstrom Westphal (facebook.com/coriwestphal)
coriwestphal at msn dot com
I follow you on Twitter @coriwestphal
Tweet: http://twitter.com/coriwestphal/statuses/79747964368728066
coriwestphal at msn dot com
I live in FL and we are in a drought at the moment, so I have bare patches across my lawn. The weeds seem to be growing just fine though.
The only growing well in our lawn is the weeds.
I subscribe by email
ajolly1456 at gmail dot com
I am a facebook fan (Anne Jolly)
I tweeted
http://twitter.com/lunaj1456/status/79861957959761920
My lawn is dying in this heat wave
this would be a great treat for the hubby and a nice break from the extreme heat we are having. he sure loves his lawn…. I like you on facebook
MY LAWN IS IN NEED OF A SERIOUS LAWN TREATMENT. THJE GRASS IS CRAZY HERE- DECIDES WHERE IT WANTS TO GROW ON ITS OWN kytah00@yahoo.com
FOLLOWING YOU ON TWITTER AS “kytah00” & TWEETED http://twitter.com/#!/kytah00/status/80074862453989376 kytah00@yahoo.com
LIKED YOUR BLOG ON FACEBOOK AS ANGEL JACKLYN kytah00@yahoo.com
Our lawn looks pretty good right now.
Our lawn improves every year…..but we still have a lot of weeds…buck weed is the worst at this moment!
I subscribe via reader!
Following and tweeted! http://twitter.com/#!/mae_01_sw/status/80079418265047041
I like you on facebook!
We could use some help! lol
Grubs have “browned” our lawn!
Our lawn has been taken over by clover. We need help.
Our lawn needs some help this summer, would love to have this giveaway!
I follow you on Facebook.
I subscribe to your emails.
We just took out some bushes that didn’t make it through the winter.
I follow in my Reader.
Our lawn is looking better this year, but it definitely could use more help 🙂
Follow you in my google reader
Already a facebook fan
Our lawn is growing … but too much rain has caused a lot of moss and we have weeds!
I subscribe to your site by google reader.
Andanbre at gmail dot com
I follow you on Twitter and I tweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/Andanbre/status/80099679722942465
I’m a Balancing Beauty and Bedlam Facebook Fan!
Andanbre at gmail dot com
i like you on facebook 🙂
i subscribe to your email 🙂
Our lawn is awful. We need the help!
I “liked” you on facebook!
front yard is growing good….but the back yard …….not so much…not too much grass 🙂
Our lawn is looking so-so. Some brown patches …definitely needs to be getting more water. Now that the afternoon thunderstorms are coming, that will help!
I subscribe via email!
I follow on twitter & tweeted! http://twitter.com/#!/amweeks/status/80232491222446081
I’m one of your facebook fans! (Annmarie Dipasqua Weeks)
Our lawn is growing a little “crabby” (crab grass). Would love to give this to Scott!
Follow on facebook!
Subscriber of your site.
My lawn is growing poorly. It’s so hot and we’ve had little rain, the grass is brown already.
I like you on FB
I subscribe via email
My lawn isnt growing that good this year.
Email subscriber
Facebook fan of BB
My husband really dislikes taking care of the lawn, so it’s in shambles. Kinda resembles the empty house next door. . . this would be a GREAT prize!
I receive your emails.
I like you on facebook!
The front yard is looking really great (all due to Hubby)!! But the dogs have decided to build our 3 year old a sandbox in the back 🙁
I subscribe to email and follow on Google Reader!!
I’m a FB liker!!
Horribly this year my husband has been working hard on it
Email Subscriber
Tweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/jjudy04/status/80320049524654081
Follow you on FB (judy jamie)