The Way I Like Grass

This post is chock full of DIY Gardening information sponsored (but not influenced) by Pennington Seed.  It's more than an ad, yo!

Before we jump right into grass , I wanted to give you a heads up about what is coming up this week on the Nest:

Today we are talking about the LAWN and the way I like to keep our grass green, as well as kicking off a giveaway for a $50 AMEX card!

The contest will end on May 10th, and between now and then we are going to be talking about "The Way I Like It" and the way YOU like it!  We're getting all opinionated over here (as gardeners do :)  I hope you come back each day full of opinions ready to share!

On to the grass though...

If you look in the photo above, you will see our back lawn in summer.  nice and green and lush and ready to soak up that giant rainstorm that is coming in from the West.  That very same lawn in spring?

Brown as brown can be.

Now most of you are probably thing - who cares?!  Everyone has brown grass in the spring, right?  Well....no.  In late winter, the grass is brown everywhere, but it starts to green up as soon as the rains start.  The rest of our yard is a wonderful grass and weed blend and turns lush almost immediately, but this nice grass takes a good long while.

So why do you like it?

Here is why!  The grass is a drought resistant variety that will hold up well during our long, hot summers.  It is beautifully thick and feels like carpet underfoot all summer long and is the asolute PERFECT grass for picnics and croquet (yeah, we actually do that, but we don't get all proper and British or anything...just backyard casual ;)

So if the grass is so nice, why is it only on that one section?

Good question!  This grass is perfect for this space, but like I said, early spring is it's "ugly" time.   I don't like this grass in my front yard because you drive down the street in spring, excited all the new growth and you see lawn after lawn of green, green, green, green, BROWN.  Yeah, you don't want to be that lawn.  It just kind of makes your house look stale, you know?

Consider the benefits AND the downfalls of the grass seed you pick.  Do your research and THINK AHEAD!

Why do you even want a drought resistant grass?

Glad you asked.  I am not a crunchy granola Earth nut, but I am definitely a concious gardener and I try to be reasonable about our family's waste.  While I won't hesitate to take a good, long, hot bath when I need one, I don't want to waste untold numbers of gallons just to water the lawn every year.  Why?

· In 2012, the U.S. experienced the hottest year on record and two-thirds of the country faced drought—the most ever experienced.
· Thirty-six states anticipate continued local, regional or statewide water shortages, even under non-drought conditions.
· Did you know: Americans spend on average 73 hours a year maintaining their lawns—watering being a main focus of time and energy.
· Depending on their region, homeowners use between 30%-70% of their water outdoors.
· Lawns require approximately 1 inch of water per week to stay green in the summer, which equates to about 2,500 gallons of water per week to keep an average-sized lawn green.
· Up to 50% of the water used outdoors is wasted due to inefficient watering methods and maintenance practices.

Not cool, eh?  The solution?  Well, it starts with the grass you choose,  can change when you change your water habits and you know what?  Sometimes allowing a bit of the native weeds in to help green things up is NOT a bad thing for your lawn.  Here's the low down:

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-- Pennington Smart Seed remains green for up to three weeks without water and requires up to 30 percent less water year after year versus ordinary seed.

-- By utilizing a high-quality seed that requires less water and contains no filler, lawns are more resilient and easier to maintain.

-- Pennington Smart Seed comes in both traditional variety blends/mixes, as well as specialized mixes that are customized to specific regional climates. (They have a Pennsylvania mix!)

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Now on to my picks from the line:

I clearly am a fan of the Pennyslvania mix.  HELLO!  It is created for my STATE!

I am also loving this Pennington One-Step mix with mulch and fertilizer because it means planting grass seed is sprinkle and DONE.

The products just go on and on -- one for Southern regions, a mix for sun AND shade, a deep shade mix.  Whatever situation you have going on in your lawn, there is a seed mix for you that will require LESS water!

NOW.  After you get your grass seed, you will want a nice cool drink and I have you covered with both!  Enter our giveaway for a $50 AMEX card and you can pick up that bucket of grass seed and dinner out at your local Mexicana restaurant on the way home.  Win, win, eh?

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Want another chance to win a little $$$?  I have ANOTHER $50 giveaway running HERE!

Want to learn more?  Join Pennington here!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PenningtonSeed

Twitter: https://twitter.com/penningtonseed

Website: http://www.penningtonseed.com

Make sure you come back tomorrow and the rest of this week as we dive into some opinions about some pretty little yellow flowers, the way people drink and my very strong feelings about a certain room in the house!  

Then you get to tell ME

the way YOU like it!

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