Saturday, November 1, 2008

Growing a Green Lawn and Beautiful Flowers

By Keith Markensen

Good lawns are fundamental for a beautiful and enjoyable yard. When you plant your lawn, you may not realize that you are planting it for years to come, or even for generations. However, the lawns of many famous estates were planted over a century ago, and these beautiful green lawns are something to aspire to.

If you are currently planning to plant a lawn, there are many items which can help you that simply weren't available years ago. New chemicals can stop weeds and help alleviate poor soil conditions, helping you grow a beautiful, healthy green lawn. New types of spreaders, mowers, and other lawn tools can help you keep your lawn in top shape.

Obtaining a beautiful green lawn is more complicated than just scattering some seeds and pulling weeds. You need to have the right kind of soil, which may require additions. You may need to add drainage, or grade your yard. Before selecting a seed formula, consider the uses for your lawn. Will you be using it for recreation, or are you striving for a smooth lawn like a putting green?

Particularly if you do not have a small suburban lot, the lawn will be a broad stretch to balance the flowers, shrubs, trees, and walkways. It should be at least two or three times the width of your borders and flower beds. Planning your lawn size will, of course, depend on the size, shape, and use of your lot.

Once you have planned your expanse of grass, you should then choose a complementary selection of flowers. You will want beautiful and colorful flowers, with some varieties available for cutting to bring indoors. The most effective gardens have a succession of flowers blooming from early spring to late fall, which is best obtained with perennials that naturally bloom at different times in the season.

You may also want to plan for quick-growing annuals to fill in the gaps when your other flowers are not in bloom. When the season passes, you can fill in the space with another beautiful plant.

Before planting your garden, you should make a plan on paper or an advice guide to help you have a beautiful garden. This plan should indicate the shape of beds and borders, as well as the position and number of plants. Many plans include a border running around the sides and back of the yard. Make sure your borders include a variety of plant heights, with tall plants behind shorter ones. You can also plan for beds in the center of your yard, or rows of beds with walkways in between. When making your plan, consider how people will use your yard, and make sure your most beautiful plants will be seen and enjoyed often. If your borders are particularly wide, you may wish to build in walkways, which can provide room for plant maintenance tasks.

With the proper planning, lawn care and maintenance, you can grow a beautiful lawn with borders of colorful flowers.

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