How To Revive Your Lawn Using #ANDnotOR

Thank you To RISE’S AND  not OR For Sponsoring This Post. As always all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own

Can it be happening? Is Spring actually starting to hit Chicago? I am scared to say it out loud, but, I think Spring has sprung and I am not wasting a minute of it inside. We had our first weekend of 50 degree temps and I spent most of they day in my yard. From clean-up, to furnishings, and learning How To Revive Your Lawn. I am not too concerned about my backyard, but my front yard, well, lets say it has some issues. This picture was from last summer, can you see the issues? I know, I can masks it well, but no more. Scroll down to find out what is wrong with this picture and check out my tips on How to Revive Your Lawn after our long winter months, bringing it back to life with a new approach. I will be using the #ANDnotOR method and finally solve those pesky garden issues.

How To Revive Your Lawn Using AND not OR

Okay, first, you are probably wondering what is wrong with the above picture and why I joined forces with RISE’S And NOT or approach. Well, can you FIND the problem?

1 – Do you See Any Colorful flowers or ground cover?

Nope, because this lawn is on the north side of my home it is completely blocked from sunlight. Also, can you see the shadow and leaves of a large oak tree? Thus, blocking more sunlight. In other words, this part of my home gets zero natural light. Any perennials or colorful floral I have tried to plant, well, have died.

Look carefully to the second floor windows, you see those planters. I gave up. They haven’t had anything in them in years. For the same reason. Zero sunlight. I gave up.

2 – Bald Grass Spots

Now, I am sure there is a more technical way to describe it but I let my lawn grow a little taller to hide the bald spots. Bald spots caused my some weeds.

Here is my front lawn today, after our loooooong winter. Don’t be scared. It is a true project to get it looking vibrant again and I want to tell you exactly how I am going to do it.

 

How To Revive Your Lawn USING THE AND APPROACH

For too many years I have taken the “or” approach. In other words, organic or not organic. Perennials or annuals. But, discovering RISE’S AND not OR I have learned that I can take The AND Approach in discovering solutions for my home.

 

Using their website and being set up with a Master Gardener, Jamie Vroom, I now understand my options and have an action plan. I have found/discovered my gardens issues, not to solve and prevent it.

THE PLAN

First, find out what type of gardener you are, Picture-Perfect Planner, Saturday Savers, or Daring Doers. You don’t have to be just one, I am a cross between the Picture-Perfect Planner (I am sure many of you would have guessed that for me) and a Daring Doer. Under each section I reviewed their tips and downloaded their regional charts:

1. Popular Regional Grass Varieties
2. Vibrant Plant Varieties to Strike Your Fancy
3. Replacement Options for Lawn and Garden Invaders

Second, my Master Gardener, Jamie Vroom, took the time to provide me specific tips for my location and my shade issues. Don’t worry, going to share some of her amazing tips with you too! Okay, did you all know that their is a state extension office online that provides specific information for your area. For Illinois visit, Illinois Extension Lawn Talk. I almost printed out the entire website to put in my gardening binder. It truly details everything to help me solve my front lawn issues. If anything, definitely bookmark this site. Another great tip, which I can’t believe no one has ever told me, was to get my soil tested. Using a soil test kit, will let me know its PH levels. Our soil needs to have an acid/alkaline balance on the ph scale. The kit will let me know what nutrients I need to add to nourish my soil, hence better grass.

Jamie Vroom, was also able to guide me on what plants will work best in my planters and what to do about those weeds. Some, some manual removal with a garden tool AND also spot treat with products from Bayer or Spectracide

MY LAWN PLAN

I am having my soil tested this week. But, while I wait, Jamie Vroom suggested I try to push a screw or nail into the soil. If it is harder to do, then my soil is definitely off-balance. AND IT WAS. It is dry and needs nourishment. So I have had it aerated this past week. I then manually removed some weeds around my soon to be hositas. I also added grass seeds and topped it with a nutrient rich soil (not hay).

Here you can see that it was aerated and I seeded it over the weekend.

Now, to add flowers and color to my front lawn, I will be adding colorful annuals such dogwoods and begonias to all the areas where you see a white arrow and all the other circles are going to get treated.

Then, for my planters I am going to use lily turf (liriope), violas, and double impatiens.

 

BECOMING A CONFIDENT GARDENER

Okay, I found my lawn problems and with the help of RISE and a Master Gardener, I know have ways to solve it and prevent it as well. So, stay tune to my instagram to see how this lawn will look in less than two weeks. AAHHHH!!