Fall is the perfect time to get your yard ready for spring, according to the “Yard Doctor” Trey Rogers.
John (Trey) Rogers, Ph.D., is a professor of turfgrass science at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich. He is regarded as one of the country’s leading experts on growing and maintaining healthy lawns. Pretty impressive!

Here are some of Doctor Rogers’ recommendations:

1. Fall is the very best time to seed your lawn
Regardless if you only have some bare patches to fill or try to establish a new lawn, now is the best time to do it! “The warm soil combined with cool nights is perfect for grass seed germination. Start with high quality seed that matches what is already growing in your lawn” Rogers says. Don’t forget to consult with your local garden center.

2. Get rid of those dandelions
Those pretty yellow flowers popping up every spring, yeah, I think they are pretty in their own special way…

Well, they look pretty at the park, not so much when they grow in my yard.

“The ideal time to control this type of broadleaf weed ranges from early October in the northern U.S. to late October in the South. You want to apply a broadleaf herbicide as the weeds germinate. A liquid herbicide that you spray on will help ensure contact with the new, small weeds as they germinate. Dandelions are a main target, but this will also control all winter annual weeds that flower in the spring”

3. Feed your lawn
Did you know that during the fall your lawn spreads horizontally? Rogers recommends feeding the lawn with a good nitrogen and potassium combination fertilizer. Your lawn will fill those thin spots instead of just growing tall.

4. Draw up your plan for spring
Plan some changes now and start implementing. Visualize how you want your yard to look next summer, draw/sketch your vision. Fall is a good season to remove and replant bulbs, is also a good time to add new trees to your landscape.

‘…fall is a time of energy and renewal. A morning or afternoon of yard care is invigorating, fulfilling and will net you great rewards next year.” I agree with the “Yard Doctor”, gardening gives me more energy, however if I don’t use mosquito repellant, it also gives me horrible enormous red bumps, those creatures can smell dinner from 50 meters away. That’s all for now, talk to you soon!
If you have any suggestions on how to take care of the yard this fall, and would like to share them with us, send me a note.

Source: yardsmarts

What are your Mom’s favorite flowers?

There is something about May that makes me happier, it has nothing to do with been born in May, maybe it is because crops begin to sprout and flowers emerge. Now, we do not get to have a May 1st on a Friday that often, so today, is extra special.
For all my ex-colleagues in the Telecom industry, happy Friday to you, remember how we used to celebrate Friday’s, sharing snacks and delicious food from around the world? You are missed dearly.

I hope where ever you are today, you are taking the time to enjoy the first day of May, I can’t wait to see what this beautiful month will bring us.

Have you been taking care of you garden? Well, maybe I should ask, have you planted anything at all this year? If you have not, go out, get some fresh air. Gardening lowers stress levels.

If you need some ideas on what works best here in Dallas, take a trip to the Dallas Arboretum, always inspiring gardeners to new ideas. You could also check the United State Department of Agriculture for a comprehensive list of Texas native plants.

Here are some of my favorite Texas native plants, with their scientific and common names:

Amblyolepis setigera
Huisache daisy
Butterfly daisy
Honey daisy

* Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii
Flame acanthus
Hummingbird bush
Wright’s desert honeysuckle
Wright acanthus

Cercis canadensis var. texensis
Texas redbud

* Coreopsis tinctoria
Plains coreopsis
Golden tickseed
Goldenwave
Calliopsis

Gaillardia pulchella
Firewheel
Indian Blanket

* Hibiscus laevis
Halberdleaf rosemallow
Halberdleaf hibiscus
Scarlet rose mallow

Juniperus ashei
Ashe juniper
Ashe’s juniper
Mountain cedar
Blueberry juniper

* Lantana urticoides
Texas lantana
West Indian shrubverbena
West Indian shrub-verbena
Trailing lantana
Calico bush

Lupinus texensis
Bluebonnet
Texas bluebonnet
Texas lupine
Buffalo clover
Wolf-flower

Prunus mexicana
Mexican plum
Bigtree plum

* Thelesperma filifolium
Eastern gamagrass

Reference: www.plants.usda.gov ; www.wildflower.org

Have you ever been to a Botanical Garden, and wondered how those flowers grow so beautifully?

One of the secrets is rich soil. Here in Dallas, as well as many other cities, our soil is not what we would call rich. Successful gardeners buy compost or make their own, this way they can see those gorgeous flowers grow. A way to make your soil or compost garden friendly is by adding coffee grounds.

Starbucks supports the recycling effort through its “Grounds for your Garden” program, they produce a lot of used coffee grounds, best of all, they are FREE. Go to your local Starbucks and ask for some coffee grounds. I always use them in my gardens; they work miracles with flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Coffee grounds are rich in nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. You can mix them with the soil or with your compost. Check with your local gardening expert for the right amount to use, let them know what you are growing or planing to grow. Who says you can not save some money while investing in your garden?