Hello Everyone, I am new and from Connecticut, We just moved here a month ago. Into a new home we have no lawn or anything because the house was just renovated. We have some seriou seeding to do soon, we are trying ot figure out where we will garden etc... it is a lot of fun, we have such a large blank canvas. I am curious what you all know about lawns too, We have a some what rocky construction site are for a front yard. I know we need to get most the rocks out before we seed but any other good ideas? Also, we are trying to figure out what plants grow good in this climate since we just moved here. Thanks for all your help! Tiffany B
Hello Everyone, I am new and from Connecticut, We just moved here a month ago. Into a new home we have no lawn or anything because the house was just renovated. We have some seriou seeding to do soon, we are trying ot figure out where we will garden etc... it is a lot of fun, we have such a large blank canvas. I am curious what you all know about lawns too, We have a some what rocky construction site are for a front yard. I know we need to get most the rocks out before we seed but any other good ideas? Also, we are trying to figure out what plants grow good in this climate since we just moved here. Thanks for all your help! Tiffany B
As you said, you have a blank canvas. Minimize the lawn and bring on the perennials and plantings.
You may wish to visit some area botanic gardens to get ideas. It's probably a good idea to make this a 3-5 year project so it grows with your adjusting to the new space.
Ornamental grasses are a must for today's landscape. They hold gardens together nicely throughout the year. For seasonal variation, plug the holes with perennials and surprises. Works great around these parts. Should work nicely for you.
I am pretty new on this newsgroup, but it seems every newsgroup has someone like whoever "sister suds" is, but I am beginning to understand the recent "mean spirited" thread of recent posts. If that post was sent in all seriousness, ignore her. This group can be of great help to both the amateur gardener and the experienced. Perhaps "Sister" got out of the wrong side of the bed this am, or perhaps had a fight with a loved one, who knows, just know your question sure seems pretty valid to me (but then who am I )
I am in NJ, but I have family in CT. Yes you are blessed with rocks all over CT (thats how they got all those stone walls. Do the best you can removing the smaller one. The small boulders you might want to plant around, letting them guide you as to where your beds may be created (Alpines love rock gardens). Also rocks that cannot be moved can also become part of a water feature using them to cascade water over.
What kind of sunlight do you have? Also its important to know you soil acidity before making any recommendations.
Only if you really want a lawn. And then, you only need to get out the rocks on the surface. But think what a lawn means: Seed, water, water, water, water, mow, water, mow, water, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, weed, mow, mow, mow, mow, water, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, water, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, weed, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, water, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, water, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, fertilize, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, etc. (Alternatively, hire a lawn service, pay, pay, pay, pay...) After all that you have a lawn that looks like all the other lawns around you.
Since you have a blank slate, consider alternatives to a lawn. You have rocks. Collect them and make a rock garden with some perennials. Make a flower garden with some combination of perennials and annuals. (If you are in a subdivision with a homeowners association with teeth, check their rules first. For some reason they generally want no individuality.)
If you have kids, you will probably want some lawn for them, but keep a buffer of shrubs or hedge between them and the road. If you don't have kids, what do you need a lawn for? Most people don't use it for anything other than an occasional cookout. Consider a small (depending on your lawn) soccer field for the neighborhood: get to know your neighbors and get some exercise.
Set aside the sunniest spot for flowers and vegetables. There's nothing better than fresh stuff from your own garden.
PS: if this is really a new house, didn't the builder put in a lawn?
I too am military..(or was, we are retired now)...We lived in VA at the time and every year they'll give out flower vouchers in the sping for you to get plants. With those you could make a small flower bed using some of the rocks as a border.(they never give enough flowers to do a whole lot of planting with) You might even want to use more rocks to make a rock garden..(no mowing). As far as your backyard, you just have to keep watering till the grass takes hold so to speak.
The back, with sod: Just give it some time. The roots are all in the top layer. Give it some time to grow into your soil. Also, did they water before laying the sod? If they didn't, or you don't know, give it a deep watering (also allowing time for it to penetrate.) Make sure you get the water deep enough to go into your soil, rather than just in the sod.
The front: Definitely remove the rocks. Add some compost on top. rake it in a little. Broadcast the seed, cover with straw, keep it moist for about 2 weeks, and you should see some results.
I've never heard of aerating sod. It should have had loose soil underneath, with plenty of room for air particles, so I wouldn't.
Fertilize sod, once it's established, just like any other grass. Don't fertilize until it's established, though, because the fertilizer doesn't actually help the roots as much as it makes the tops grow. Just water deeply and infrequently.
As for me, I don't use commercial fertilizers at all. I use a mulching mower to return nutrients to the lawn, and every once in a while, apply a layer of compost. Not so much to cover the tops of the grass, but enough to give it a little extra food. It eventually works its way down into the soil. Also, if you mow high, you should have less weeds, because the grass will block out the light.
I know a lot of people on this newsgroup are against growing a lawn, but I have kids, too. I want a safe place for them to play, so I grow grass.
Massachusetts, east central about 30 miles from Boston, 20 miles from Worcester, 20 miles from NH. Zone 6 or maybe 5 some years.
As you may have gathered from my post, I have a thing against lawns. I consider them a useless waste of time and space. My lawn is about an acre and it gets mowed four times a year whether it needs it or not. I don't water, fertilize or weed. I drive and park on it. It would consume me if I let it, but as you can see, I don't let it. (I try not to let it. My wife has some input on the subject, frequently different from mine.) There is a buffer between the lawn and the road, so unless you look up close, it's generally nice and green. Up close it's somewhat ragged, but it's still green. Since I don't mow in the summer, it stays green. I don't recommend this regimen for anyone with an ordinary lawn mower. It won't hack the tall stuff. I have a 6 foot flail mower to keep it down.
However, if you have a bunch of kids running about, that changes the equation drastically. With kids around, the lawn gets used, so all my objections are irrelevant.
As soon as mud season is over, you can start. For a lawn, it's sufficient to take out the surface rocks and anything sticking up. The grass will hide a lot of stuff. This can be done for the most part with a metal rake, a shovel and a wheelbarrow. If you have a really large area you might want to rent a small tractor with a york rake or box scraper, but you probably have 6-8 weeks to get it done, so most of it can be done by hand up to a couple of acres. Do a little bit at a time until you get back in shape after the winter. After that, seed, rake and water, water and water. You will have to keep the area moist (no standing water, but no dust either) for about 2-4 weeks until the grass is established. A straw mulch helps to keep down evaporation from the soil. It will decompose in place so you don't have to remove it later. Let it grow fairly long before you start mowing it, and set the mower high for the first few mowings.
Good luck, and don't let the curmudgeons get you down. There's a bit of that in all of us anyway.
Military housing was rather strict as I recall as far as what you can get away with in "your" yard... Also, remember that when you move (and you WILL) the yard is one of the areas that are inspected and must pass before you are off the hook (if it don't, and you follow your orders - you will have the significant bill automatically deducted from your paycheck)... Hate to burst your bubble, but keep the future in mind
P.S. I retired after 20 years in the Air Force - maybe other services aren't quite as strict, but I very much doubt it..
Cooperative Extension is an integral part of the land-grant college system, which grew out of the U.S. Congress' concern for the education of the average citizen in the Agricultural and Mechanical fields.
In 1862, Congress passed the MORRILL ACT, which provided for a university in every state that would educate citizens in the agricultural and mechanical fields. These colleges are known today as "land-grant universities."
Congress soon realized that to be effective, the educational function of land-grant universities must be supplemented with a research capability. Consequently, it passed the HATCH ACT in 1887. This act provided for the establishment of facilities where colleges could conduct research into agricultural, mechanical, and related problems faced by rural citizenry.
Finally, in order to spread the benefits of the land-grant universities throughout each state, Congress passed the SMITH LEVER ACT of 1914. This act provided for the establishment of Cooperative Extension. As a result of the Smith Lever Act, there are now Extension Offices in every state.
Why don't you reserve an area for planting trees for shade and landscape. I would suggest native deciduous trees and evergreens. Then beds for perennials and annuals. With that large yard, some portion might even be reserved for vegetables. Lawns are relatively high-maintenance and "unnatural" and I would not opt for one, unless your house (architecture) and family (children and dog?) really want one.
I cheated and read the threads before I posted this.
If you are in base housing, check with the housing office and see what they will allow. Drive around and see what others have done in your area. If your base has a "Self Help Store" (again ask at housing or other people that have been there a while), grass seed, bedding plants, perrenial plants, supplies, equipment, etc may be available at no charge for people in base quarters. The plants limited quantities for your spring planting needs, tools and equipment on an "as available basis".
Many areas have county extension offices that can answer agricultural questions for your area regarding best suited plants, plant pests and diseases and treatments. Check the government pages in your telephone directory for listings. Usually if you are directed to the right office, they are very helpful. The same with ag departments at some of the local colleges and universities, one poster specified "Land Grant" colleges.
If your yard was sodded, even sloppily, after it starts growing, the sod will fill in the bare spots. Many types of grass further south are not sodded in a solid carpet, but plugged at intervals that grow and spread to the bare spots.
As suggested by other posters, rake and remove the largest rocks, also remove construction debris. A dead patch in the yard later could indicate the presence of nails or shingles. In that case you can pin point the offending material and remove it.
Hopefully, you will have a few years at your new assignment to do and enjoy your yard before transferred.
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