Spring Home & Garden - Wednesday, April 2, 2014 5
Sod or seed?
By Tresa Erickson When you’re faced with the choice of sod or seed, it can be a difficult decision to make. They are both good options for dealing with a less-thanperfect lawn. There are pros and cons to each, and you must think through your decision carefully. Sod has been professionally cultivated and is ready to go. The roots are already there and just need to be placed into the soil for them to grow. Sod can be installed fairly quickly and easily and applied to almost any surface, flat or inclined, and it will stay put, even in heavy rainsÑthough you may have to stake it. It is also generally weed-free and requires little care. All you will have to do is water the sod heavily for the first few weeks of start-up, and it should take root and provide you with the lush lawn you envision. Because it is ready made,
sod can be expensive, much more expensive than seed. You have to get it on the ground quick to protect your investment, whereas with seed, you have more leeway and more varieties to choose from. Most experts recommend seeding in the spring or fall. It does take some work to get seed into the ground, from fertilizing to raking to rolling. Seed also takes longer to grow and establish, and when placed on an incline, it can easily wash away. Although it may require less watering in the first weeks, seed will require mulch or hay, both of which can contain weed seeds and lead to weeds. Again, seed is less expensive, so if it does not work as well as you had hoped and you end up with some patchiness, it will be much less of a loss. There are pros and cons to sod and seed. Consider the options carefully, consult with an expert and make the right decision for your lawn and your budget.
Take a garden tour By Tresa Erickson Love walking through a lovely lawn and garden, but don’t have time to make one of your own? Take a garden tour. Love your lawn and garden, and wish you could show it off? Sign up to be part of a garden tour. Many areas around the country host garden tours, usually in the spring, summer or fall. While some tours might feature commercial gardens, others might feature residential gardens. Homeowners who spend a lot of time tending to their lawn and gardens might be invited to participate in the tour and open up their spaces to the public. Proceeds raised might go toward the support of local garden clubs, community landscaping projects and other outdoor pursuits. For those interested in making a vacation out of garden tours, there are many properties around the country that offer garden tours on a regular basis. Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in Charlottesville, VA, for example, offers tours of the home as well as the lawn and gardens throughout the year. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, home to George Vanderbilt, does the same, as does the Magnolia Plantations and Gardens in Charleston, SC. There are hundreds of gardens across the country and around the world open to the public each year. Many of the commercial properties with gardens open to the public also offer the additional option of hosting an event there. Imagine exchanging vows with your beloved or hosting a tea party for your civic club against the backdrop of a magnificent garden. How divine. Depending upon what’s available in your area, you might have many options to choose from. If gardening is your passion, look into some tours. Whether you go on a tour or host a tour stop yourself, you’re sure to come across some interesting ideas, some of which you may be able to incorporate into your own landscape.
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