It is a gorgeous afternoon here in the Twin Cities - warm enough and dry enough to get a closer look at the lawn and do some light raking. I did have some snowmold along the road and driveway, where the snow got piled pretty deep and it's pretty shady. But, the overall condition looks good after the raking. Last fall, I told you that was the best time for lawn care and that's still true. However, spring is the best time to evaluate your overall landscape and establish a strategy and program for developing a healthy lawn

As I was out raking, I couldn't help but think about working on a Sunday. I also thought back to the first 2 chapters of Genesis, where Adam was given charge over all creation, even in paradise. My time working outside is as close as I can get to God's creation and I find what I am doing is more worshipping than working. But, that is a story we can share another time.

Spring is the best time of year for establishing your lawn care program so you can have a healthy lawn all year long. The last few posts have been about identifying some of the problems your lawn may have. Keep a sharp eye for other patterns as your lawn emerges from dormancy. Thin spots, different types of grasses, some perennial weeds and unevenness will be easily spotted before the green of spring and summer cover them up.

Spring also gives you a good look at the overall structure of your landscape - do you have spaces for entertaining? How about a spot you can get away from it all and relax? Look for wear and tear in high traffic areas. Do you need to reroute sidewalks and paths to match the actual pattern of traffic through your yard? Structural changes to your hardscape is much easier in the spring and it gives you the rest of spring, summer and fall to enjoy them.

I could go on and on about lawn care programs and strategies, but I think lawns are getting way too much attention. Think back a few generations and remember how your grandparents cared for their yards? Most likely, they spent more time in the gardens than on the lawn. Who doesn't remember tomatoes, peas, carrots, corn, cucumbers, squash and potatoes, fresh from the garden at grandma and grandpa's? Did you ever pull a stalk of rhubarb from the garden and dip it in a cup with some sugar in it and eat it sitting on the lawn on a warm spring afternoon?

Lawns have their place in the landscape, but they don't need to be the star of the landscape, just part of the canvas. As the star of the landscape, they require a lot of effort and use a lot of resources. Establish a proper strategy for yard and you'll not regret it. If you want help maintaining your lawn or developing a program for your lawn, be sure to give us a call!