Weather and New lawns

The Weather

The weather has been perfect for the last couple of days. A good time for a college graduation. With the sunshine and the warm days people tend to forget about watering. Even today Jeff is out watering all our annuals. We also did them yesterday. The young tender plants need to stay cool so they root in. Also having a young plant under any stress will effect it through out the year. Water is a key element in the success of any garden and landscape. Not enough can cause problems as well as to much can create a host of other problems. It is a balancing act that sometimes needs careful thought. All to often I will see a home owner install a new tree and or shrub and water a couple of times then let it go on its own. New trees and shrubs need continual water the first year they are in the ground. In fact they should get a good drink in the fall, right before you but the hose away. Perennials and annuals need different type of watering at different times. Yet they all need it and some times mother nature just does not provide enough.
Every Spring I see people getting a load of loam, dirt, topsoil, whatever you want to call it delivered to their houses. And my hope would be it is not for a new lawn they are about to install. When trying to establish a new lawn there is no better time then the fall. A spring seed job is very hard due to changing soil temperatures and germination of broad leaf weeds and crab grass. Now you could spend a small fortune trying to stop all the weeds and crab grass, but why not just wait for fall when weed germination is over, soil and air temperature is perfect and you have plenty of time to establish a healthy root system. You can also use improved varieties of blue grass and perennial rye grass, depending on your conditions and location. So take it from me, I can guarantee it. Start your new lawn in the Fall.

Linguine and Clams

When I decide to post a recipe that the heading you be able to fined it under.  And May-be that will be the first one. Linguine and clams is my absolute favorite dish. I have been eating it my whole life. My uncle Tony as well as my father made excellent versions of the dish. And A Touch of Garlic makes a good one to. I even sent my wife over to my fathers to learn how to make it. And as long as she follows the recipe it is very good. So stay tuned and find out what your missing.

Fineto

Preparing a college campus for a commencement event that is on campus is a large and tiring event for a groundskeeper. So the forecast calls for rest after today. We will also think about tilling the garden dirt. Good luck for now, Edward(no middle initial)Pagliaro

P.S. I hope that bridge is still up over those Troubled Waters Art Garfunkle