This is my last article of 2014 regarding caring for your garden. Im listing some tasks that should be taken care of over the winter.

Trees and shrubs: Keep leaves raked off lawn and around shrubs as they can create a hiding place for pests.

Lawns and ornamental plantings: Over-seeding with annual rye grass may make for a green lawn over the winter, but it is harmful to lawns, especially centipede. Clean and winterize your mower for the season. Drain gasoline or add a fuel stabilizer.

Flowers: Plant spring flowering bulbs between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, dont forget the Master Gardener bulb sale at the Farmers Market! A 2-3 inch blanket of mulch will protect overwintering perennials and help minimize weeds. Label plants with durable markers and consider mapping flower beds as backup.

Vegetables: Hungry for fresh greens? Start a micro-greens garden on your window sill. Sow micro-green seed mixes in shallow trays of potting soil and harvest when seedlings are 3-4 inches tall. You can start a new crop each week to continue getting your salad all winter. The average crop-time for most micro-greens is 7-10 days from seeding to harvest. Kale, cabbage and collards are the hardiest crops. You can continue to harvest them throughout the winter. Carrots can be left in the ground and harvested as needed. Im even trying some out on my back deck in pots this year. If temperatures are expected to dip in the mid-20s, cover lettuce, broccoli, spinach and beets to prevent cold injury.

See original here:
Judi Lloyd: Winter is no time to forget about your garden

A popular playground will stay open for winter despite council bosses announcing it would be closed for six months for the grass grow.

Councillor Angus Ross, executive member for environment, revealed the change in heart at last Thursdays Wokingham Borough Council executive meeting.

At the beginning of last month the council announced repairs to the play area at Dinton Pastures would keep it closed until next Easter.

But just six days later families concerns over the closure prompted Cllr Ross to backtrack saying they were exploring ways to keep sections of the play area open.

At the meeting Cllr Tom McCann mocked the councils recent announcement the area was to close as it is not able to cope with children playing on its grass and called for any future facilities to actually be done properly.

Cllr Ross said: The play area has been a great success and we want it back in the splendid condition it was on opening.

We will not close it for six months and plan to make it more robust and able better to withstand the usage of its dedicated users.

After the meeting he added: We will be working on how to best to bring the area back as its been a victim of its own success.

Work will be starting in the next couple of weeks and we wont need to shut the whole area, though we will look at fencing some of it off.

Our decision comes in part following the publics reaction to close it and we are definitely interested in how people find it. We just needed to decide whether we could keep part of it open safely.

Go here to read the rest:
Popular Dinton Pastures playground will now stay open for the winter

The council has learnt a lesson in Tilehurst with the introduction of an experimental footway and verge parking ban, which was made permanent on Tuesday.

Although the ban was widely approved in Tilehurst, Reading Borough Council encountered problems in Mayfair, where residents have room to park off-road between their front gardens and the road on tarmac drives without damaging the wide grass verges.

They challenged the ban, saying it made no sense to displace their cars on to the busy road.

So the traffic management committee made an exception of Mayfair on Tuesday night while confirming the ban on verge and footway parking throughout the rest of the experimental area.

The committee will look into alternative restrictions to protect verges in Mayfair.

Park Lane in Tilehurst also presented problems because despite the 18-month ban on verge parking, the grass has not returned.

In a report to the committee, network manager Simon Beasley wrote: Prior to the ban, the verges had been so badly damaged that even today the verges remain in a terrible state.

Tilehurst councillor Sandra Vickers described the project as a success and called for the reseeding of the grass verges in Park Lane.

'Mad' council transport bosses vote to continue Tilehurst parking ban

She also raised concerns about the continuing pavement parking near shops, banks and cash machines and cited Recreation Road as especially bad.

See the article here:
Lessons learnt over Tilehurst footpath and verge parking ban

A Maine farm is making a name for itself growing a product you may have never heard of: it is called fodder.

Richard Thibeault's farm isn't typical. It fits in a single room inside a barn.

Thibeault spreads a tray full of barley seeds, and once hooked to the automatic watering system, he'll have fodder in less than a week.

Photos: Made in Maine Fodder

"It gets fed water every two hours for one minute and in six days its ready to go," said Thibeault.

Once it's ready, the fodder is fed to livestock.

On Thibeault's farm, his horses and alpacas graze on grass and hay in the summer, but as the cold sets in that food becomes scares and more expensive.

"This has become something to fill that gap," said Thibeault.

Pam Harwood owns a nearby alpaca farm and is one of Thibeault's regular customers.

"It allows me to know that I'm going to give good nutrition, even if the hay isn't that good," said Harwood.

Continue reading here:
Maine farm growing unusual product

Chilean needle grass is most recognisable in late spring and early summer while it is flowering. It has distinctive purple seed heads with long awns.

A community-led action group is to provide Marlborough farmers with a check list to help eradicate invasive chilean needle grass as part of a new long-term strategy.

Marlborough Chilean Needle Grass Action Group chairman Warwick Lissaman said farmers throughout the region were responsible for the eradication of the pest, whether or not their property was infested.

The 15-year eradication strategy involved a voluntary hygiene plan for landowners, and was developed by the group in conjunction with the Marlborough District Council.

"We're telling every farmer in Marlborough that you have got a biosecurity requirement on your farm to keep [chilean needle grass] off your farm. You don't want this thing and you have really got to ramp up your biosecurity," Lissaman said.

This spring check-lists would be available from the action group, and would be given to every farm in the "core area", where the grass was most prominent.

That area was Blind River Loop, but Lissaman said surrounding areas in the Awatere Valley also had some occurrences of the plant, as did the Wairau Valley.

Those in the fringe areas of Blind River would also be provided with a check-list.

Chilean needle grass had been found on 143 properties in Marlborough, but most occurrences were small outbreaks.

The check-list was to provide farmers with a list of measures they could take to prevent the spread of chilean needle grass, Lissaman said.

Read more from the original source:
Chilean needle grass gets no quarter

Jacksonville, FL (PRWEB) October 31, 2014

Owners of businesses who take personal pride in the exterior look of the company property can now benefit from the lawn services offered through the TLC Total Lawn Care company at http://tlctotallawncare.com/lawn-care-and-landscaping. Lawn landscaping services for small businesses are now offered around the city of Jacksonville, Florida.

The services that are now offered can be initiated by calling TLC directly at (904) 269-8873 or by completing an information request on the company website. The range of maintenance services now provided to business owners is expected to help companies of all sizes benefit from a well-manicured lawn that will attract attention of consumers.

"Our team consists of landscape, project and horticulture specialists to match business owner needs for properties of all sizes," said a TLC Total Lawn Care rep.

Exterior accents are one trusted method that some company owners are turning to in an effort to stand out from competitors. Floral and shrub accents are now more common in cities and rural areas, and TLC is now providing these property maintenance services along with pruning, mowing, edging and mulch bed solutions.

"Our specialty is commercial lawn care and we're now setup to help small or large companies get the satisfaction of an exterior lawn makeover," said the rep.

The TLC company has been providing landscaping services in the North Florida area for more than two decades. The company is now licensed for pest control applications, irrigation services and has required bonds for agricultural services. A site consultation can now be arranged through the company website or by phone during normal hours of business.

About TLCTotalLawnCare.com

The TLCTotalLawnCare.com company has spent the past 25 years providing commercial lawn care services to small and large companies around the city of Jacksonville, Florida. Known for high quality and competitive prices, the TLCTotalLawnCare.com company continues to provide the wow factor to companies that require grass cutting, edging, seeding and turf maintenance. The company website is a continued resource used this year to promote all lawn related services.

Read more from the original source:
Lawn Landscaping Services for Small Businesses Now Offered TLC Total Lawn Care

Pockets of sandplain grasslands throughout the Vineyard turn a light mahogany color as the nights begin to cool in late summer. Katama Air Park in Edgartown, Trade Wind Fields Preserve in Oak Bluffs and the various fire trails that run through the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest are among the best places to take in the color.

Sandplain grasslands, which are most extensive on the Cape and Islands, as well as on Long Island, usually include a variety of grasses, wildflowers and shrubs. But it is the native grass little bluestem that creates the ochre hues in late summer and early fall, and in large part helps sustain the diversity of the grassland ecosystem.

By September little bluestem has reached its full height of about three feet, and has sent out seed heads. The flowering season lasts through November and the color lasts through most of the winter.

By October youve just got a beautiful cloud of seed going on, especially when its backlit, said Carlos Montoya, an Aquinnah resident who owns Native Plant Associates and specializes in seeding little bluestem meadows. Unlike other long grasses, which form carpets, little bluestem grows in clumps, which allows other species to grow around it. It is also one of the few North American plants to utilize the C4 photosynthetic pathway, which allows it to grow in dry conditions. Once its established, you can virtually walk away from it, Mr. Montoya said. And just when everything else is turning brown, this thing is in its glory.

Carlos Montoya of Aquinnah owns Native Plants Associates and specializes in seeding little bluestem meadows. Mark Lovewell

Much of its habitat on the Vineyard was created by grazing animals. Open spaces in the past were also created by fire and sometimes maintained through controlled burning. But farming has decreased since the early 1900s, along with an increase in fire suppression, and most open land on the Vineyard has reverted back to forest.

All of the habitat that requires full sun is getting smaller and smaller, Mr. Montoya said. And that means the gene pool, which is kind of the survival into the future that gets constricted too, since there is less and less seed being produced. So I think its really important to keep the different habitats in balance.

Mr. Montoya was involved in efforts by The Nature Conservancy and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole to convert forested land on the Vineyards south shore to grassland and little bluestem beginning in 2001. As a result, the number of plant species in that area tripled from about 25 to 75 species.

Matt Pelikan, a Vineyard resident and coastal ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, said the plant also supports insect and bird species, which often prefer dispersed vegetation. The amount of energy that is stored in little bluestem plants is pretty considerable, he said. Some insects have life cycles tied to the little bluestem and many caterpillars feed on it exclusively. Its an important linchpin in the food web, Mr. Pelikan said.

He added that because little bluestem grows late in the season, it is useful in seed mixes for farm pastures. Then you have a mix of species thats diverse enough so there will be something growing actively at all points in the season, he said. A lot of the land management that weve done of conservation properties has been aimed at promoting sandplain grassland habitats, and little bluestem would be one of the key species that youd want to see be prominent in places like that.

Read the original here:
Oh Little Bluestem I Love You, Yes I Do

Two FieldTurf fields will replace natural grass suface

Sarah Hugel/ The Towerlight

Students who have passed by Burdick Field this semester have noticed the gravel and dirt that replaced what used to be grass. This led many to wonder about the fate of one of the only green spaces on campus.

No fear, Towson students, as Burdick Field is undergoing a renovation that began last fiscal year and is set to be finished this fiscal year. The area is getting two new FieldTurf fields, synthetic surfaces much like the field at Johnny Unitas Stadium, and turfing began last Thursday.

Director of Campus Recreation Grady Sheffield said the project was approved in response to the field conditions of the old Burdick Field.

The need for a synthetic sports surface for Burdick Field has been evident for quite some time, Sheffield said.The previous natural turf field, despite the great efforts made by Paul Thomas and the Landscape Services staff, was never able to meet the needs of the university community on a consistent basis, especially when it rained.

Sheffield said the field lacked a proper crown, sloped to the west and did not have a drainage system in place to allow water to adequately dissipate from the playing surface, before the renovation.

The field would often be off limits for days after rain, forcing the cancellation of many club and intramural activities. In light of this, the decision to add FieldTurf instead of another natural grass field was made. Sheffield said it was difficult to maintain the grass field year-round.

With natural grass, we were limited as to when we could program the field(s) and how often, he said.In order to have grass on the field you have to allow for it to be properly maintained. This includes suspending activity during and after rain, time for watering and seeding, and then allowing new growth to mature in order to withstand the heavy usage.

The fields will feature lines sewn onto the turf for specific sports. The larger field will have three flag football fields, a soccer field and a rugby pitch, while the smaller field, located between the Union Garage and Osler Bridge, will have lines suited for mens and womens lacrosse.

Continued here:
Burdick Field getting new turf

Happy Sam!

After several years of throwing my money away at lawn maintenance service and watching my St. Augustine lawn die, I finally decided to seed my lawn.... Read More ->

We moved into a new-to-us Florida home in January of 2012. We came from Illinois where having a good lawn is easy. We were told by lots of people to... Read More ->

I ordered BlackJack Bermuda seed from you in April for a backyard baseball field I constructed for my boys and their little league teams. You said... Read More ->

Please find enclosed pictures of my lawn that was over seeded this spring with Argentine seed from your company. As you can see the results are... Read More ->

Don't buy from Z Farms all the plugs died. Hancock Seed company is way Better All there plugs are still green Not Like Z Farms where brown when i got... Read More ->

I planted the sun hemp cover crop on a Wednesday. It was sprouting on Friday. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it myself. I can almost see it... Read More ->

See the article here:
Hancock Farm & Seed Company - Lawn, Pasture and Turf Grass ...

The Muirhead family are in their fourth generation and third Century of producing and selling grass seed.

We have a wealth of experience and the knowledge to answer any questions you may have.

We are the only merchant in United Kingdom to have shown and won the World Champion Medal in the Small Seeds section of the Toronto Winter Fair in Canada.

Allowing us the skill to acquire and select the best available grasses and blend them on our premises to your requirements. As we are Independent Seedsmen, we are able to source all available UK Grass Seed varieties from the Seed Houses of Europe. Only Seedsmen are able to produce top quality grass seeds mixtures; unlike merchants that can only sell what they are given from one Seed House, they have no knowledge of what is in the bag.

As we are Independent Seedsmen, we are able to source all the best varieties from the various Seed Houses, leaving the poorer varieties for the Merchant mixes.

Our website has been split into three sections; Amentity, Agriculture and Equine.

The Amenity section has been designed for Professionals and Gardeners, allowing everyone looking for a great finish to have it. A lawn is for life buy the best quality. Only Seedsmen are able to offer gardeners professional quality lawn seed, our mixtures are not available in Garden Centres. No one ever regretted buying quality.

The Agricultural section shows you a selection of our best selling mixtures, but as farmers ourselves we understand that you know your land better than anyone, we will mix to your requirements.

And our Equine section is for those people with an interest in horses and ponies. Having always had horses we have an expertise in grazing horses, and the knowledge to repair the damage they can do to your grassland.

As well as the seed mixtures available on the website we are also able to supply bespoke mixtures tailored to meet any specifications that you may require.

See the original post:
Grass Seed Direct