| A lush, velvety green lawn is the dream of | | | | practically dormant. Bermuda grass, on the |
| every homeowner, and this dream can usually | | | | other hand, grows well in the summertime but |
| be achieved if the owner gives a thought to | | | | cannot deal with freezing temperatures. |
| what kind of grass will work the best in his | | | | |
| climate and soil conditions. | | | | Experts suggest that heavy traffic areas - |
| | | | where your kids play kickball or catch - need |
| It doesn't matter how attractive your | | | | such hardy types as perennial ryegrass, tall |
| flowerbeds, vegetable garden, trees and | | | | fescue, or Bermuda grass. If you don't want |
| statuary are. If the green grass between | | | | to be watering your grass on a regular basis, |
| these items isn't green, if there are dead | | | | prairie grass, buffalo grass or blue grama |
| spots, then your whole landscape will be | | | | grass is the choice to make. |
| affected. | | | | |
| | | | Ornamental lawns, which will have no children |
| So you must select your lawn grass carefully. | | | | to damage them, do quite well with Kentucky |
| Items you must consider are your climate, how | | | | bluegrass. If you live near the coast with |
| you intend to use the lawn, the amount of | | | | its salt water, fescue and St. Augustine |
| time and money you want to spend on | | | | grass are good choices as they tolerate salt |
| maintaining it, and which parts of your lawn | | | | well. These are also a good idea in those |
| are sunny, which shady, and which a | | | | states where salt is used to cover the roads |
| combination of each. The pH balance of your | | | | during winter. |
| soil is also a consideration. | | | | |
| | | | Finally, if your lawn gets a mixture of |
| Plant breeders have been working with grass | | | | sunshine and shade, the best thing to do is |
| for a hundred years to develop new strains to | | | | use a mixture of grasses suitable for each |
| meet a wide range of lawn needs - you just | | | | type. That way, if one grass fails, the other |
| need to find out what your needs are. And | | | | will still keep the lawn looking nice and |
| sometimes, lawns need more than one type of | | | | attractive. |
| grass. Lawns in northern climates are more | | | | |
| likely to need a mix of grasses than those in | | | | It's important to read the labels when buying |
| the south, just because of the colder weather | | | | grass seed, so you know exactly what you're |
| and snow. | | | | getting. Keep an eye on germination rates, |
| | | | and make sure the seed is dated for use in |
| Some grasses grow in different seasons than | | | | the current year. If your garden center is |
| do others. For example, the famous Kentucky | | | | offering bags of grass seed on discount |
| bluegrass likes the weather to be cool and | | | | because they're over a year old...don't risk |
| moist, and so grows quickly during spring and | | | | it! |
| autumn. In the summer months, it's | | | | |