Yard Gone

BY LISA S.T. DOSS

The vividly green, lush landscape of grass has value to homeowners! It sends the message of care and order to any passerby. We don’t usually associate grass with thousands of oxygenproducing plants, but that’s precisely what they provide to humans. For all the positive benefits the unblemished lawn offers, it’s disheartening to have to ignore areas that cannot grow the desired result; therefore, a solution is needed! SOIL TYPE The best method to determine a soil’s composition is through simple testing with minimal time or disruption. First, dig three to four inches below the surface with a trowel and place the contents into a bowl. Then, break the pieces apart and remove rocks and sticks until smooth. Next, grab a handful and squeeze it into a ball. Poke a hole into the center with your finger. Now, determine your results: • If the ball remains cohesive, it’s comprised mostly of clay. • If it remains mostly intact, it’s loam—a good balance! • A complete crumbling is sand.

Understanding the composition will help you correct the problem. Most likely, you’ll need to till the area and add at least two inches of enriched soil. On top of the compost, add a few inches of mulch to break down, further offering nutrients over time.

SUNLIGHT

Most plants require a minimum of six hours of sunlight within an environment of rich soil.

When only three or four hours are available, we often think only a few perennials exist in the category; however, partial sun plants usually yield strong flower power and striking blooms, while surviving in challenging conditions. Here are a few suggestions that do not disappoint!

• ANEMONE: As a member of the buttercup family, the anemone grows from fibrous roots. Usually planted in the fall to reveal an array of colorful flowers by spring. • ANISE HYSSOP: As a medicinal herb, it’s also a tall, striking plant with lavender blooms appearing from mid-summer to early fall! • ASTILBE: High above a dark, green fernlike foliage, fall, feathery plumes appear in lavender, pink, red, or white flowers. • BLACK-EYED SUSAN: Brighten up an area with bright yellow petals. While attracting pollinators, the blooms extend from summer through late fall. • THE BLEEDING HEART: Growing to a height of 15 inches and spanning 12-inches, the beauty of this plant is its heart-shaped blooms cascading from arching stems. The plant is both easy to grow and tolerates challenging soil types. • COLUMBINE: A distinct bell-shaped flower often is purple in the spring and changes to maroon in the autumn. It also attracts hummingbirds. TIP: If the soil receives large pools of water, aerate. By creating holes into the ground, you’ll encourage air and water flow.

GROUND COVER Without the time to amend the soil, one solution is to transition a barren area into a focal point with various stones and a sea of low-growing plants. Buy several varieties to weave layers and textures of color. Make sure to read the label. Most ground covers demand full sun to thrive.

• CREEPING PHLOX: An ideal plant for retaining or stone walls and hillsides. • CREEPING THYME: Growing to a height of three inches, the plant adds beauty and color between garden stepping-stones, crowds out weeds, and spreads. • RUPTUREWORT: Also known as the “green carpet,” the dense evergreen foliage offers a splash of color in spring and fall. Like many ground covers,

Rupturewort is reasonably soft when underfoot. Its popularity stems from a slight vanilla fragrance. • SCOTCH MOSS: Forms a soft mat that works well along walkways to minimize weeds. The beauty arrives when tiny translucent white flowers appear in spring.

TURF OPTIONS Even shade-tolerant grasses need at least four hours of direct sunlight per day. If possible, try trimming limbs or removing trees to promote pockets of light. If grass seems like an impossibility, consider: • Investing in a densely shaded grass seed, designed to thrive in low-light environments. • Buying Zoysia grass plugs, which ensures a dense wear-resistant turf. The plant grows from the stolon, or runners, and expands from the main plant. Its deep and vigorous root system requires little water, and chokes out weeds!

Do not give up! You’ll have a beautiful lawn or attractive feature in no time! Good luck!

Child Safety Series

CAR SEATS

BY TARYN JEREZ

Each month this series will provide important facts and tips surrounding child safety in an effort to support parents and caregivers as they navigate reducing risks and creating the safest environment possible for the children in their lives.

Did you know that 95% of parents leave the hospital with their newborn baby unsafe in their car seat? According to Michelle Pratt of “Safe in the Seat,” a nationally certified child passenger safety expert and owner of her business “Safe in The Seat,” thousands of families struggle with feeling confident about keeping their child protected when it comes to car seat safety. Whether you have a baby on the way or grandchildren you care for, there are steps you can take to help put aside fear and embrace the knowledge to keep those precious little ones safe.

How to Get Started Safely with Your Car Seat

It may seem simple, but the very first step to car seat safety is making an informed purchase decision. Take time to learn about which car seat options are appropriate for your baby or child’s age, weight and height before you buy. Read recent product reviews, watch videos, check consumer reports and ask friends and family about their experiences with certain makes and models, to help build confidence as well. Next, it’s important to understand how to correctly install the car seat in your vehicle and buckle your child in, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you want to go the extra mile, you can have it inspected by a certified technician. Many will also allow you to show your child in their seat to double check if their positioning in the harness is correct.

Understanding the Dangers of Improper Car Seat Use

“Correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent,” according to Safe Kids Worldwide. Once your car seat is installed properly, it’s crucial to make sure the car seat supports them properly throughout their growth. Each car seat manual, as well as many of their maker’s websites, will provide safety guidelines for adjusting both the seat and your child’s positioning as they grow. This will include things like when to adjust the angle of the seat, how long the child can safely use the car seat, when to turn the car seat forward-facing, at what point a booster seat is appropriate and more. Remember, more than half of car seats are not used or installed correctly, so keep the manual close by and reference it often during the duration of the car seat’s use.

Common Car Seat Safety Myths

You can check your car seat installation is correct at any fire station. False.

You can have your installation checked at a fire station, but not all locations are equipped with the knowledge needed.

According to Buckle Up NC, “Permanent

Checking Stations (PCS) are locations where parents/caregivers can receive information about child passenger safety from nationally certified Child

Passenger Safety Technicians and have their car seats and seat belts checked to be sure they are installed and used correctly.”

It is considered unsafe to get a secondhand, used car seat for your child. False.

A used car seat can be a cost-effective option and there is no reason to feel you’re making the wrong choice as long as you’ve done your research. Just answer these questions before purchasing; has this car seat ever been in moderate to severe collision? Do you have the manufacture date, model number and instructions? Is the car seat recalled, expired?

Your child is ready to move to forwardfacing or a booster once they reach the right age. False.

As exciting as it can be for your child to reach the milestone of facing forward like their siblings and parents, there is no proper age to make this change.

Instead, children must reach the correct height and weight requirements, following the manufacturer’s guidelines specifically.

If an item is purchased through a reputable retailer, it’s safe to add to my car seat. False.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of adorable and “helpful” aftermarket car seat items, sold by some of the most popular baby brands, that are deemed unsafe. The rule here is that any car seat item sold by anyone other than the actual car seat manufacturer, even when it is marketed for safety or convenience, is not considered the safest fit for your child, due to it not being made specifically for your model.

Helpful Resources to Learn More

• Safe in the Seat Instagram Account - @safeintheseat [ONLINE EDITION

HYPERLINK: https://www.instagram.com/ safeintheseat/] • Safe Kids Worldwide [ONLINE EDITION

HYPERLINK: https://www.safekids.org/car-seat] • Forsyth county requests for child safety seat installations can be made by calling the Community

Resource Unit directly at 336-773-7835.

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