I moved into my current home in the winter of 2006. The pool had its cover on and snow was plentiful on that cold February day. I had to wait for the spring to see my new lawn. The builder told me he had just put down brand new sod in the summer of '05 and I had visions of the green grass of Ireland dancing in my head. When the spring came it was about as green as the sand on a beach.
My dreams of a beautiful lawn were just that, a dream, and I went online to find a solution to the problem. I called a professional lawn company and they explained to me that the lawn needed to be seeded and aerated. I have heard of aerating a putting green on a golf course but never a backyard. I was quoted a price of three thousand dollars but I did not care. I wanted the green grass in my dreams and I gladly paid the company. It was the end of April and, of course, April showers bring May flowers and green grass. So the day after the lawn was aerated and seeded; the rains from the heavens came and came and came. The rain did not let up for two weeks. I watched as all the grass seed just washed away with every rain drop. I called the lawn company again and they told me for another one thousand dollars they will reseed the lawn all over again. I was upset with Mother Nature but the visions of that green grass were all that I cared about.
When June came, I had sporadic patches of grass and I believed I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I joined the lawn company’s yearly program as they assured me that by the fall I would see a major improvement. The lawn actually became worse in the fall and I chalked it all up to the lawn company being subpar. I had a sprinkler system as good as any golf course and it did not make a difference in year one. Next year I was going to get my green grass one way or another.
I received several advertisements in the mail over that winter with the most beautiful pictures of lawns. I called a few of the companies and decided on one in particular because they assured me that they knew how to handle my lawn problem. I paid five thousand dollars and I knew this was going to be a good year for my lawn.
A big truck pulled in that spring and sprayed my lawn with green mist. The mist was a combination of grass seed and fertilizer. The day they sprayed the lawn was green with the seed and the fertilizer. It lasted for about two days before the green started to disappear. I was so impressed with the technology; I just knew it was going to work. Not only did it not work, I had moss and crabgrass growing where grass should be. I was so distraught by the end of the year I threw my hands in the air and I really needed to do some serious research over the winter.
I decided in year three to hire a local lawn company instead of one of the national chains. My lawn was improving but it still was the worst one on my block. I was getting so embarrassed. Forget about the dreams of my beautiful lawn, I just wanted to have a lawn that my neighbors would not laugh at any more.
Year three was better than the first two as I had only a few bare spots in the lawn. I had what I thought was grass but I learned my lawn was ninety percent weeds and I had a grub problem now. Grubs and weeds after all that money. The end of year three had me more upset than the previous two.
This year I hired a local lawn pro again. The local pro explained to me how he was going to get my lawn up to where I wanted it. He said it was going to be at least a three year process. I do not know if he was snowing me or he really did know what he was doing. He did tell me that he had a degree in environmental studies from the University of Rhode Island. That in itself is going to make me trust this individual. He told me he had the same problem with his own lawn and showed me a before and after picture. I was so impressed I nearly hugged him. My hopes and dreams have been renewed again as I have finally started to see some progress. Oh the green, green grass of home.
Your lawn is not just a lawn, it is the piece of earth that you own as an individual of this planet. Walk barefoot on your lawn and when the cool grass goes between your toes, remember to think about this one special thought; this is my piece of planet earth that no one can take away from me. That special feeling of pride is why I strive to have that perfect piece of planet earth all to myself. I have given my blood, sweat, and tears to own this little piece of earth and I appreciate it everyday even if it has some weeds and is the color of sand on the beach.
E-mail me at drcchasse@verizon.net
voice 206 350 4670
fax 206 350 6437
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