Experimenting with Grass

By SKEETER Last Fall we tried an Experiment with Grass in our Georgia Gardens. I had seen on other blogs how some gardeners sowed their lawns with Rye Seed for a green lawn in the winter. We decided to give it a try and see what would happen for us. With rains the day of the sowing process, it sprouted quickly for us. Then the ice and snow arrived.
I was concerned about the grass with the inch thick ice covering it for about a week. Yes, we had ice and snow sticking around for almost a week! That is so unheard of around these parts. It was a very cold and strange winter in Georgia. Soon after the thaw, I could see the grass was fine. Along with those willow oak leaves that are the last to fall from the trees.
Look at that beautiful green lawn today!
We are so pleased with the outcome that we plan to sow more rye seed next fall.

If you look beyond the brick wall, hedge and driveway, you can see the front yard which we did not seed. This grass is dormant and blah looking to the eye compared to the lawn around the house. The Tri-Angle Planter has been cleaned and should reseed with Perwinkle. I also planted some Cleome Seeds I collect last fall. We had one inch of rain last night so I am sure the seed liked the drink.

Which would you rather have, Green lawn or Dormant lawn? By the time the annual rye dies out, hopefully the Centipede and St Augustine grasses in our yard will be green.

We had one issue with the seed...The Saint used the broadcast spreader instead of the drop spreader around borders. Yikes, I was not happy when I saw the grass in the Drainage by the house. I had redone that area last spring and it was a difficult job.
On our first nice warm day, I started plucking the sprigs. As I plucked I was thinking about the way the Saints brain operates. After 23 years together, I find it fun to try and figure him out at times such as this. I had my ideas as to what he would say about this mishap and I had to see if I was correct in my analogy. I asked, "Honey Why did you use the broadcast spreader instead of the drop spreader?" Yep, I was correct. The Broadcast spreader did a faster job. But he saw no big deal as Rye Grass is a annual so it will die right? Yep, I knew that was coming also. He cracks me up that Saint of mine.
He redeemed himself by joining me in the plucking of the sprigs. We sat on our tarp and filled the bucket with grass sprigs.
The drainage area looks all pretty once again.
Now I shall move on to the Rock Garden and start plucking. (Can you see my little chipmunk?) Then to the Angel Trumpet Garden and start plucking and so forth and so forth.. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr....

We had success EXPERIMENTING WITH GRASS, In the Garden...

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden