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Maintaining a lawn and garden isn't as easy as it looks, nor is it as hard as some people make it out to be. If you're not fond of outdoor work, either consider a condo instead of a detached home or hire a lawn service. Please don't resort to the lazy man's effort: a front yard covered entirely in Astroturf, or an entire yard "landscaped" in lava rocks with an occasional bush thrown in for good measure, or a corner lot with a bizarre assortment of soaring, weedlike plants interspersed with lots of concrete statues. If you're going to have a lawn, take responsibility for making it look nice -- and normal.
Most homeowners take great pride in their yards. The U.S. lawn and garden market is expected to grow to a $26 billion industry by 2005, according to MarketResearch.com -- thanks in part to 77 million aging baby boomers who have the money and often the time to devote to their yards.
So what do you need to keep the lawn-and-garden market -- as well as your yard -- thriving?
A great relationship with your local lawn-care center. Whether it's a big chain or a local garden shop, befriend the regular employees and milk them for all the information they'll give you. Most gardeners are happy to share their knowledge. Most areas of the country also have a Cooperative Extension Service filled with wonderful people (often volunteers) who offer not just free information and advice, but Master Gardener classes, too.
The understanding that a yard does not take care of itself. Even if you xeriscape your entire lawn (using native plants and grasses that need little watering), you'll still have some work to do. Maybe not weekly mowing, but some trimming, raking and occasional weeding. Keep an eye on your lawn and garden at least weekly, and take care of problems promptly. Ignore a brown spot in your lawn for too long, and you may end up having to re-sod or re-seed your entire yard. Ignore the funny bugs on your favorite shade tree too long, and you may be looking at a steep price to have a dead tree removed.
Water. If your yard didn't come with an automatic sprinkler system, head outside right now and locate the hose bibs. The house we just bought in Wisconsin has only one, in the back of the house. As my husband put it, "How do you water the front lawn or wash your car?" So we're having a plumber come to add another hose bib in the front of the house. While you're not looking to drain the oceans, you do want to give your lawn enough water to keep it from dying. Check with your local utility company to see how much water is recommended how often for your specific area. Then make sure you have enough hoses and sprinklers to do the job. (You can make do with one hose and one sprinkler, moving it every 30 or 45 minutes so you eventually cover your whole lawn.) Plan to water in the early morning hours, rather than at night or in the afternoon, for the best absorption and least likely chance for fungus development.
A lawn mower. Yes, you really do have to mow the lawn. In Florida and other temperate states, you'll no doubt be mowing once a week. (I have not-so-fond memories of having to mow the lawn one weekend with my infant son strapped on to me in a baby backpack, throwing up on my neck and down my shirt.) Blissfully, I now live in the Midwest, where we get a respite from lawn mowers a few months a year. As someone who's pushed more than a few lawn mowers in her life, I can assure you that -- unless you're looking to yard work to replace your days in the gym -- you want a self-propelled lawn mower. Toro even has one now that allows YOU to regulate how fast it goes, instead of choosing between turtle-slow and hare-fast, leaving you practically running behind it. It's also nice if your mower has a feature that allows you to stop mowing for a minute -- to move some sticks out of the way or to empty the bag of grass clippings -- without the motor turning off and requiring a restart. I'm a fan of mulching lawn mowers, primarily because I hate dealing with grass clippings. But if you have a compost bin, a mulching mower isn't necessary. Check out a few lawnmower reviews here. For the healthiest lawn, you should never cut off more than a third of a grass blade's height at a time. If your mower (mulching or not) leaves clumps of cut grass scattered across your lawn, be sure to rake them up, or at least disperse them, to avoid creating places for fungus to grow. If you're following these guidelines and your grass is looking ratty, you probably need to sharpen your mower blade.
A string trimmer. Most mowers can't get close enough to trees, garden borders and walkways to do a thorough job. A string trimmer -- one that can swivel to be used as an edger, too -- is ideal way to conquer this job. Of course, my husband and I like an immaculately edged sidewalk and driveway, so we have a gas-powered edger in addition to our mower and string trimmer. It provides a much cleaner edge. But if you're struggling with all those new-house expenses from refrigerators to shower curtains, a string trimmer will suffice on its own.
A rake. Sad, but true: a leaf-blower can't get all the leaves nor whoosh sticks and fallen fruit out of the way. I once had a yard with two mango trees, and I needed a sturdy garden rake (as opposed to a flexible leaf rake) to help me collect all the fallen fruit. A flexible leaf rake, on the other hand, is great for getting in and around most garden beds without ripping up the soil.
Garden gloves. Don't skimp. Buy a decent pair of leather garden gloves to help avoid blisters and to keep too much dirt from getting under your fingernails. (A trick: dig your nails into a bar of soap BEFORE you start your yard work; it'll keep dirt at bay.)
Miscellaneous garden tools. Most other equipment needs depend on the makeup of your yard. Flowering plants and bushes likely will require a pair of pruning shears or, for thicker branches, a lopper. If you have trees, you may want a pole prune and/or a pruning saw. (I prefer the standard shape to the bow saw.) Never cut a branch at its midpoint, or your tree will be at greater risk for disease; always trim it at its junction with the larger branch. Hedge shears or electric or gas-powered hedge trimmers will make quick(er) work of an otherwise tedious job. A wheelbarrow is handy for more chores than you can imagine. Play around with them at the store and be sure to get one that doesn't tip too easily.
Lawn and garden fertilizers, pesticides and weed killer. Whether to use organic products or not is a personal choice. Obviously, organic products are better for the environment and healthier for people and pets who enjoy your yard. But sometimes, chemicals get the job done faster. Talk to the pros at your garden center about your specific needs and problems, and they'll point you in the right direction.
For more information on yard care and lawn equipment, check out these Web sites:
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