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Lawn and landscape tips for new homeowners If you are new at home landscaping, a slow and steady approach will give you a higher probability of outcomes that match your desires, budget and gardening inclination. 6 ewcomers to the region and newcomers to home ownership often struggle with caring for the outdoor part of their new property. Greenwood and the Lakelands area have unique features such as clay soils, periodic summer droughts and other climate extremes that test the new gardener. There are a large array of turf grasses, woody plants and perennials that test even an experienced gardener’s management skills. One important tip is to use the first year to evaluate your outdoor plantings and educate yourself on typical plants and turf types used in this area. That may seem like a long time, but it typically can take a full season to identify and understand the plants, and their requirements in your new landscape. Even if you have a newly constructed home with few plants and sparse turf, do not run to the nurseries as soon as it warms up and purchase grass seed, fertilizers and large numbers of plants and flowers. Avoid the headaches and expenses of improper turf selection or poor plant adaptation to a planting spot with a careful and planned approach. The most important step in lawn care is identifying your turf type. All management decisions, from cutting height, fertilization, to herbicide control of weeds, are highly variable by turf type. You might be better off to start with easily available educational materials. There are large numbers of resources available through your local extension office and Clemson University’s Home and Garden JAMES HODGES Clemson Extension Agent website: http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic. This website contains numerous bulletins to help the novice or experienced gardener manage their outdoor property. A good bulletin to start with is HGIC 1703, Low-Maintenance Landscape Ideas. Even if you are an avid gardener and plan on lots of outdoor growing, this bulletin provides a good template of steps for each owner to evaluate their property, evaluate their desires, estimate work activities and decide what type of landscape and turf areas suit their current abilities. If you are new at home landscaping, a slow and steady approach will give you a higher probability of outcomes that match your desires, budget and gardening inclination. The evaluation should be geared to your experience level, family situation and work responsibilities. If you hate mowing grass in the middle of July, then you might avoid the high maintenance approach to turf and minimize total turf areas. Large areas of high maintenance type turf is not easy on a limited family budget either. Use the first year to discover what types of perennial bulbs, herbaceous and woody flowering plants exist. Many may be heirlooms with great interest or beauty while others may have declined
from insects or diseases, changes in sunlight or shade or from competition from other plants. Make a simple drawing of your property with home, tree locations, turf areas, hardscapes with compass location. Look at shade areas so you can determine areas suited to sun loving grass or shade tolerant plants. Note that morning sun/afternoon shade is easier on shade tolerant shrubs than morning shade/afternoon sun during our hot summers. Evaluate plants for vigor and problems such as dieback or poor vigor. Declining or diseased plants can be removed and replaced with better selections more adapted to specific locations in the landscape as you gain knowledge on locally adapted plant material. During the process it may be difficult to identify your plants, especially turf type. Often it is much easier to identify shrubs when they are in bloom. Take photos or cut samples and stop by the extension office for help in identification. If you have questions, you can call 864-223- 3264 or stop by the Extension office on East Cambridge Avenue. Hodges is a Clemson Extension agent in Greenwood County. He can be reached at 864-223-3264. Your Home & Garden Destination Easter Sale April 3&4 Fri. & Sat 9am to 6pm 15% off Hanging Baskets, Boston Ferns, Spring Annuals, Geraniums, Gifts, Home and Garden Decor Wyatt Farms is Greenwood’s Finest Garden Center and Nursery Open: Monday—Saturday, 9am to 6pm 103 Wyatt Court, Greenwood, SC 864-229-6252 www.wyattfarms.com Protection You Can Trust. Save More with a Home & Auto Package 109 Bailey Circle, Greenwood, SC 229-7011
Page 2 and 3: Grow Your Curb Appeal with a FlexEq
Page 4 and 5: 6 8 12 16 BREAKING GROUND Lawn and
Page 8 and 9: Tips for a High-Impact, Budget-Frie
Page 10 and 11: Before After High-Impact ... asked
Page 12 and 13: Lights! Cabinets! Wine! 12
Page 14 and 15: TRENDS ... Remodelers seeking a con
Page 16 and 17: Want to elevate your home from good
Page 18 and 19: Making structures t stylish & funct
Page 20 and 21: OUTBUILDING ... than they purchased
Page 22 and 23: After dinner is done and the conver
Page 24 and 25: Fire ... gas- or propane-fueled Art
Page 26 and 27: 7 Sure Signs It’s Time to Remodel
Page 28 and 29: 6 Tips to Paint Like a Pro What sho
Page 30 and 31: Community Resource Directory • Re
Page 32: More than just cable! ® Reliable.

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