Organic Lawn Care Book

I switched over to organic lawn care about 8 years ago.  I’m glad that I made the switch, and for the most part, I'm happy with my lawn.  But, I have to admit that it isn’t picture perfect.  Part of the reason is that I focus most of my time and attention on my garden beds, and then really just don’t have enough energy to fuss with my lawn.  I’m satisfied if it’s green, even if some of the green is weeds.

However, this spring I noticed that the north side of my property was being taken over by clover. So, I decided to research the best way to get rid of it. My first thought was some kind of chemical weed killer. Then I came across a book that I found to be very helpful:  The Organic Lawn Care Manual by Paul Tukey.

The author spent many years as a lawn care professional.  After suffering from some medical problems related to the use of lawn chemicals, he decided to eliminate chemicals and find organic alternatives to lawn care.

The book explains how to evaluate your lawn’s current condition and how to make the transition from chemicals to organics.  There are instructions on how to start a lawn from scratch as well as how to renovate an existing lawn.  The author is a proponent of compost tea, and gives step-by-step instructions (with photos) on how to make your own brew.   There is a very detailed description of common weeds and what they are trying to tell you about your soil (in my case, the clover is an indication that my soil lacks nitrogen).

Overall, I found this book to be well written and would recommend it to anyone interested in organic lawn care.

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms 2012

Wondering when the Cherry Blossoms along Washington DC’s Tidal Basin will bloom?  Well, it can be anywhere from mid-March to mid-April depending on what kind of winter we’ve had.  So, it’s hard to pin down to an exact date until about 10 days before they actually bloom.  According to National Park Service chief horticulturist Robert DeFeo, the “peak” bloom period for 2012 will probably be March 24 – 28.   That means that buds could start opening as early as March 20th and last for about 14 days.

The National Park Service monitors the stages of bud development to try and give a more accurate bloom date the closer we get to the actual “pop”.  So, check out the Bloom Watch page on the festival’s website for the latest information.

This year Washington DC will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Cherry Blossom Festival.  It’s a five week event from March 20 – April 27, 2012.   See their website for details and a full schedule.