Pros offer tips to keep your lawn and garden party ready
Bob Moulesong Times Correspondent
As summer settles in our thoughts turn to the backyard, always a sanctuary but more so as the coronavirus pandemic highlights stay-at-home activities.
But being a homebody doesn’t have to be drab, expensive or uneventful.
Aesthetics
When preparing the backyard for entertaining, appearance ranks high.
“When I help homeowners design or upgrade their backyard, I ask a few questions so we can have a foundation to work with,” said Joe Ladd, vice president of R.A.L. Landscaping & Garden Center in Crown Point, Ind.
Ladd’s questions include how much sun and shade do you have, how much maintenance you are willing to do, and how much money you want to invest. “I do think of it as an investment,” Ladd said. “A beautiful and functional backyard adds value to your home.”
Ladd suggests a mix of year-round and seasonal color. Pink and blue hydrangeas are popular and thrive in the Midwest. Arborvitae creates an evergreen privacy fence and grows quickly.
Lisa Johnson, horticultural educator in Dane County, Wis., agrees color is key. “Whether you have a lot of sun or shade, you can have a lot of color,” she said. “There are perennials and annuals in many shades of red, pink, blue, purple and yellow. Another way to add color and variety is through plants with colorful leaves. They don’t have to be all green.”
For shady areas, Johnson suggests hostas and coleus. “They come in several colors and sizes,” she said. “You can create a colorful design that gets fuller every year.”
Johnson also adds color to her garden with potted plants. “The pots are different shapes, sizes and colors and catch your eyes.”
In addition to planting a mix of perennials and annuals, think about the grass. “The average backyard has more square feet of grass than all of the plants combined,” said Casey Lartz, owner of Casey’s Garden Shop and Florist in Bloomington, Ill. “Bare or brown spots take away from the other work you’ve done.”
Patching bare and brown spots can bring the grass up to an even green relatively quickly. “There’s products made for patching,” Lartz said. “A mix of grass seed and starter fertilizer is good for do-it-yourself gardeners.”
A mix of Kentucky Bluegrass and fescue seed is recommended in the Midwest.
Durability
To entertain frequently, your backyard needs to be as durable as it is beautiful. A few steps can help keep it looking great even if you're barbequing every weekend.
Ladd suggests dethatching the lawn, especially if you haven’t done it in a while. “Power raking the grass digs out the thick thatch that stops sunlight and nutrients from penetrating,” he said. “Dethatching can also prevent fungus from taking hold by allowing air to penetrate in pockets.”
Fescue is more durable than Kentucky Bluegrass, according to Johnson. “Fescues can handle a greater amount of foot traffic and bounce back quicker,” she said. “The fescue has a skinnier blade than Kentucky Blue, and that thinner blade is hardy.”
Both are considered cool weather grasses, important in the Midwest. “We had some areas of frost in Wisconsin one week before Father’s Day,” she said. “Cool grasses can handle those abrupt changes in the weather. Warm grasses are intended for farther south.”
Lartz said that one important tip is to aerate your lawn every fall to prepare for next year’s use. “Soil compacts with usage,” he said. “So, the more you use it, the more it compacts. That keeps water and nutrients from getting deep into the roots of grass and plants.”
Aerating the lawn allows for roots to expand and fill in the small holes created, according to Lartz. That helps the grass thicken naturally.
If your yard has a natural path from the patio, don’t fight it, join it. A walkway consisting of pavers can add color, shape and contrast to the green grass. The walkway also keeps your visitors from trampling the grass.
Maintenance
Though some jobs are best done at specific times, maintenance is a year-round job.
Pest control is one, and Lartz recommended Mosquito Beater. “It’s safe for pets and kids,” he said. “The granules chase mosquitoes away and keep them gone for weeks. It’s a great choice before entertaining.”
Warning about pest control that can include harsh chemicals, Johnson skips sprays that can damage plants. “Citronella deters mosquitoes; marigolds deter rabbits,” she said. “Contact your local extension and ask what they recommend for your area.”
Ladd also recommends organic fertilizers. “If you use organic nitrogen or iron, the chance of burning your lawn is nil,” he said. “Iron will green it up before your big cookout. Organic nitrogen will help it grow and make the root system strong.”
Another trick to keep the lawn from showing wear and tear is to frequently move your furniture and grill. “You only have to move things 10 feet or so,” Lartz said. “If you give the grass time to recover, you’ll minimize worn spots.”
Mixing colors, annuals with perennials, pest control through organic products, and organic fertilizers and iron can give you the show and tell yard you desire.