QUESTIONS!!

[AKCristyMJ]

Well I don't normally post here because lol I have no "garden" because it is the large yard of the 4plex we live in so I can't just do anything without landlords approval.

But we try.

We have bad grass usually.
I think it is a combo of foot-traffic, dying soil, and watering and mowing too often.
The grass is a sad sight and the weeds are numerous. :no

So in the bald spots I planted hardy Canadian grass seeds I bought online.
Oddly tho it came in in a yellowish like green and is noticebly not the same color green as the rest of the lawn......any idea what kinda grass it was??? It is thick and sort of a lime color.

Under our porch it is just dead.
So I raked it, toiled it and laid down organic store bought soil and then laid out the easily-bought-online Roll-N-Grow shade lovers plants.
We watered often as it said.
But so far nuthin is showin/growin.
The directions were very limited as to how much to water and we worry we watered too much or too little, the roll-n-grow green "mat" is mostly gone from watering. That ok??
Any Roll-N-Grow exsperience??

In our back yard I wanted to give bees a haven, it is a nice retreat a steep hill with old trees and like almost no one goes back there.
I have loved putting bird feeders back there and laying out half eaten fruits for the birds to enjoy.

But for the bees I bought packets online of Wildflower seeds.
I should have bought local.
Cuz now I'm not sure they'll survive at all here.

But it said to just scatter them and they'l grow....is that true??

I already dug holes here and there and poured seeds in and I'm hoping that didn't mess things up, maybe I shoulda just scattered??
Any wildflower exsperience??
lol

Ok but my main question is.....Clover.

Well ok 2 weird things.

First grass all over our front lawn started seeding, I've never seen so much grass send out so much seed so early in summer, actually that lawn has never seeded in my 3yrs here.

Then all this Clover started growing in the yard...lots and lots in large healthy flowering patches!!

Well I'm ok with that, the bees love it!

But our landlord wants it gone. :( She wants to spray weed killer on it all. :sick


Any thoughts any advice??

[mom2threegirls]

Mowing too often won't kill grass- it is really good for it- but mowing too LOW is bad for it. Mowing high and often is the thing to do so it forces the grasses roots down deeper and doesn't shock it each time it is cut since just a little is taken off at a time. It's generally a good idea to get grass seed from your local home improvement/gardening store because they will have the type of grass seed that is right for your area. I've never heard of "roll-n-grow" so no advice there ;). A lot of stuff you can buy online won't necessarily work in your area, it just depends. That could be what's going on with the roll n grow :shrug. Your backyard sounds nice with the bird feeders and leftover fruits! :rockon If wildflowers are going to survive than scattering them is the thing to do, although if they're going to grow they will probably grow as you have them planted already. If they are shallow holes you could just rake over it all to scatter the seeds and it would be just fine. Wildflowers are easy :yes. They're like weeds, basically, but really pretty ones that you want! :) If the grass is healthy and thick the clover will NOT be able to take over :no3. Fertilizing works wonders for grass, as does adding amendments based on what your soil might need (you can get your soil tested to find out what to add to it). You, or your landlord, could spread compost/topsoil over the lawn after aerating and then seed the grass and it would grow really well, but it can't be walked on when the baby grass is germinating/growing so that might be tough with a 4plex situation :think. I'd recommend getting a grass seed for your area and filling in the bald spots in the fall (well, that's what I would do here in WA but it might be different timing based on where you are- they should know at the store you get the seed at) and in the meantime fertilize. That is, if you even want to go to that much work since it's a rental- I'm not sure that I would (but I would get on my landlord to take care of it! ;)).

[Naked Camper]

:phew I'm glad that you got some responses. I've been rather :scratch over all the issues in your post.

You've been a busy little bee working on your yard/garden :yes

[AKCristyMJ]

LOL

WEll no I highly doubt she'd let me go to THAT much work and $$.
Actually if I did it might raise up all our rents! Ick
If the lawn looks "average" our rent remains "average" kwim?

But I'm nuts about nature.
I can not just let Nature be neglected I can't.
Especially here where there is only so much of summer before snow returns. The birds, butterflies, bees, bugs, worms......they only have so long before it's cold again.
I am in the process of making a butterfly and ladybug habitat too.


Don't think too highly of me, I do get paid for my labor ;)
The landlords we have are far too busy and our 4plex Owner lives an hr away!!
They absolutely love us taking care of it all here and pay well.........I got a $115 check the other day just for the mild gardening I've done so far ;)
And I get paid by seeing the birds near my kitchin window, they are so cute!
The big ones eat the fruit and the little ones eat the birdfeeder.......and they ALL eat the mosquitos!! :heart


I can not control the mower, that is hired help that they choose, I never know when they'll show up or if their mower is too low. It seems they hire a new guy each time.
I am gonna try and talk the LL out of using weedkiller, I do not like the chemicals and I'm scared it'll kill my bees and butterflies.
I love bees, I'm so weird, we had a nest nearby last summer and our neighbor kids drowned it with the hose.........I'm still mourning. :cry
(I hate wasps, but those cute bumble bees just touch my heart :) Alaska has way too many wasps and Yellow Jackets, I hardly see the bees)

[Naked Camper]

that's great that they pay you to do landscaping :tu

I've always thought it'd be neat to make a bees box - where there's a plexy glass side so you can see into the nest and see them working. There is a local apple farm here that in their store they have a bees nest like that inside the store, but a tube running outside so kids can see the bees at work w/o getting stung.