Green Daily

I feel like I write about lawns often on here lately. I work at home, and I'm thinking this could be because I hear the sounds of gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers and motorized edgers a lot these days.

Diane Rixon has a great article on DIY Life, called "Your Lawn, Simplified." Do we really need to spend hundreds of dollars each year keeping our grass perfect and neat and green? According to Rixon, nope! In fact, Rixon tells us that the trick is to "work...less. Yes, less!" Here's a quick sample of Rixon's tips:

1. Mow less, every couple of weeks in the summer instead of every week: Also, mow high, around three inches. On the aesthetics of a longer lawn, it may take some getting used to, especially if you are in a neighborhood of half-inch blades. Rixon recommends keeping the edges neat to help with that shaggy look.

2. Lay off the chemicals: Use a slow-release product (I like Cock A Doodle Doo myself) for fertilizing. Go easy on the weed killers. And leave the clippings on your grass for a natural fertilizer.

3. Low-maintenance landscaping: Rixon advises knowing "when to give up on grass." Consider alternative groundcovers and use mulch where possible.

Be sure to check out Rixon's article for the full scoop!