The Lawn

2^NdUse From Turf Management to A Field of Dreams

I went through my teens and early adulthood during the 70’s and 80’s.  I was the oldest and given the responsibility of the family lawn—it felt like a punishment. I think this was due to the fact that my family had a push lawnmower and a corner lot, my dad had a bad back, and I was the only one strong enough to cut the weed-infested non-vital lawn—weekly. I had no training or understanding of how you make grass grow. I was aware of the conventions of what is good turf; being a hyper green lush grass carpet; this value was of course dependent on petroleum-sustaining practices now common in horticulture. FYI, we did not ‘blend’ with the neighborhood.

When Rebecca and I moved into our home in 2001, the lawn was a thistle and bindweed bonanza. I had to do something about the lawn. I wanted a patch of grass that would make up for the shame I had experienced growing up.

To be honest, I sucked at conventional bluegrass lawns, so I did a lot of research and discovered alternatives.

I approached my experimental lawn very seriously. First, I had to find the right cultivar that would thrive in this hot, clay soil—an arid environment with lows in the winter to minus 20. I decided upon a new buffalo grass turf as the answer. I then followed the recommendations given by the supplier of the seed, Stock Seed Farms , that gave me the information needed to created an environmental structure that would support this particular cultivar. I installation an irrigation system and creating a welcoming seedbed for planting. This was quite the investment but no different then the investment needed for a conventional bluegrass culture.

It took a good 3 years to establish the lawn.

There was a surprise to this experimental lawn that I didn’t expect. It was the feelings I had when I first saw my children playing in my lawn. Now the lawn is a playground out my kitchen window. I remember my mother’s wish that she voiced to me when I helped her in the kitchen growing up. She dreamed of having a playground outside her kitchen window so she could watch her kids and grand kids play while preparing another meal.

Bluegrass, even though it greens early in spring because it is a cold season grass, pretty much dies out mid-summer in our area when the weather gets hot and dry. Often it will recover a bit in the fall when temperatures drop and precept increases. Bluegrass requires about 3 more inches a month and a great deal of nitrogen fertilizer. This cultivar grows so aggressively that experts recommend mowing it twice a week.

 The non-convention of buffalo grass lies in that it is a hot season grass, which means it starts greening later in season and goes dormant early. It has a more sage green in color, which I quite like. Buffalo grass is not a fan of a great deal of nitrogen fertilizers. And if you are okay with some stamens on the top of the grass you do not have to mow it because its mature height is only 6”. My wife and I have decided we like the look of a more manicured lawn. I must admit that during the height of its growing season, for about a month and a half, I mow it weekly. But during the majority of the season I can go as long as three weeks. The other advantage to buffalo grass growth rate is that I can garnish the lawn through naturalized techniques by planting some crocus, tulips, daffodils, and iris for spring color. This is because these fall bulb plants can go through there complete growth cycle before I have to mow.

But our grass is out of synchronicity with the rest of the neighborhood. Even sow, pun intended, I feel no shame. I love my lawn. Because what matters is that the lawn makes a great place to run barefoot. I am realizing my mom’s dream through my kitchen window. I watch my kids play. My hope is that my children’s experience of play in this grass is stored in their dreams to be replayed over and over again.

View from my kitchen window of Maddie and Maura dancing barefoot in the lawn