Fall lawn care

Carol will be on line live today, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m. to answer questions about gardening.

What to do in the garden:

Finish lawn restoration this weekend. A dense lawn has fewer weeds. Target problem
areas where turf is thin or brown or displaced by weeds. Most lawn weeds
are annuals and will soon die. Nature abhors a vacuum, so plant grass seed
in these soon-to-be vacated patches this weekend and there will be no room
for crabgrass to sprout next spring. When buying grass seed, choose a mix,
not a single variety of a single species. Lawn diversity provides
protection from diseases and insects who might wipe out one type of grass.

Cheap grass seed mixtures are usually inferior. Shop at local garden
centers that stock mixes for our region. Make sure the package is dated
this year and contains at least 50 percent combined fine fescues and
bluegrasses, the best grass types for New England. They compliment each
other because the fine fescues such as Kentucky bluegrass have the best
all-round color and texture while the fescues are more tolerant of shade,
drought, and acid or infertile soil. Avoid mixes with more than 25 percent
perennial ryegrass, or more than one percent weed or "crop" seeds. (They
list this!)

Buy a full sun mix if your lawn gets more than six hours of
sun a day. Use a shade mix if your lawn gets three to six hours a day. Any
lawn getting less sun than that needs to be overseeded every year just to
look so-so. Consider replacing it with a shade tolerant ground cover such
as vinca. Whether your are patching, over-seeding or starting a new lawn,
the basic procedures are the same.

A spreader will help seeds acheive even
distribution. The key is to get the grass seed in contact with the soil. If
you are patching bare spots, cultivate the ground first, then rake the seed
in so it is slightly covered with soil, then firm it with the back of your
rake. Rent a slice-seeder (for about $75 a day) for seeding large areas. It
looks like a mower with a seed hopper and plants your seeds at the proper
depth. Make at least two passes. The second pass should be made at a 45
degree angle to the first. Plan ahead to have fertilizer and seed ready and
reserve rental equipment so you can do the job in a day. Ask friends or
neighbors who also need to reseed to share the rental cost.

Once planted,
keep the seeds constantly moist until they sprout. Fall rains will help
with this, and though the air is cool, the soil is consistantly warmer than
in the spring.

Garden event at Tower Hill:

Nearly 50 Works in Tower Hill's First-Ever Sculpture Show which runs through Sunday, November 1
Hours: 10am-5pm, 'til 8pm Wednesdays
Sculptures Illuminated Wednesday evenings
There are 13 participating artists in The Sculpture Show.
Included in the Show is Morris Norvin's "Trash" created from recycled metals. Also featured is Norvin's "The Discarded", depicting mother and child polar bears, created from discarded oil barrels. Also Wendy Klemperer's "Running Elk" and "Stalking Cheetah".

The Garden is located at 11 French Drive, Boylston, Mass., three miles from exit 24 off Route 290. For more information and directions, visit www.towerhillbg.org or call 508-869-6111