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

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Well, maybe not lions and tigers and bears, but voles, moles and gophers, at least. But, sometimes there is more than meets the eye. Spring continues to reveal more of the hidden life in your yard and landscape as the snow recedes. Take, for example, the photo at the left - look closely and you'll see the snowmold we talked about in our last post, but also a bunch of runways through the grass. This is the work of voles (a.k.a. meadow mice). During the rest of the year, you'll probably have no clue they're around, but spring uncovers their activity as they ventured out for food.

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If you're like most of us in Minnesota, you are enjoying the effects of a warm spell that has banished most of the snow in your yard. Even though we had some record snowfalls, all that is left in my yard are the remnants of the snowbanks deposited by the snowplows. And, with the change to Daylight Saving Time (note it is Saving, not Savings!), I had the opportunity to walk around the yard and see how things survived the winter, which is the best thing you can be doing right now, too.

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The southern suburbs of St. Paul/Minneapolis got 12-14" of fresh snow over the Christmas holidays, along with a little rain and sleet on Christmas Day, transforming our yards into new landscapes. I always enjoy looking at how a yard looks at different times of the year - how the light falls, what shapes are evident, what colors dominate and what activities are taking place. When you looked out your window this week, what did you see?
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Having a lawn can be a high maintenance commitment for your yard, but it doesn't have to be. As a landscaper, my yard tends to be the last yard I get to work in, but the expectations for a good looking yard are high. So, I make the most of every opportunity I get. And in the fall, I get the most return for my efforts.

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