Prime Time for a New Lawn
(Yes, Even After a Week This Warm)
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These warm, early autumn days can feel like an odd time to think about your lawn, but mid-August through mid-September is the ideal window to sow grass seed and establish sod.
Why? Because when you plant grass now, it has weeks to establish roots in the warm soil ahead of winter, and less competition from weeds than grass that's planted in spring.
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1. Rake a layer of compost into the bare spots and thin patches first. This loosens the soil and helps the seed make good contact with the soil, rather than sitting on top of compacted ground.
2. Spread the grass seed over the prepared area. You can scatter it by hand, but you'll get more uniform results if you use a seed spreader.
3. Scatter straw lightly over the top. This helps to hold moisture close to the seedlings, and protect them from getting eaten by birds or washed away.
4. Set up a hose sprinkler on a timer to water the freshly seeded area. Set up the timer to run every six hours, fifteen minutes at a time. Short, frequent waterings keep the top layer of soil damp without washing the seed away.
Grass seed, compost and straw are all in stock now at Stone Market.
If you'd like an instant lawn from scratch, we can cut sod to order too. Find details at hoerrnursery.com/sod.
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Fall Is for Ornamental Grasses
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Ornamental grasses are at their finest in fall, putting on a seasonal show with their showy plumes that sway in the breeze and catch the evening light. If you haven't got any in your own garden, now is the perfect time to find them a spot. Nothing else brings the same fine texture and graceful movement to the garden.
There are grasses and grass-like plants for both sun and shade, and just like lawn grass, early autumn is prime planting time for them, so they settle in before winter.
We have a wide selection in stock. Here's what sets each group apart:
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Native prairie grasses are tough and drought-tolerant, ideal if you'd like an airy, naturalistic look. They interplant well with flowering perennials without overwhelming them, and they're attractive to songbirds and pollinators.
- Little bluestem (pictured above) features blue-green foliage that turns copper-orange in fall. It's one of the shorter ornamental grasses, with an upright shape that makes a statement in smaller spaces. Uniquely variegated varieties are available as well, with leaves streaked in white and pink.
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- Big bluestem is a tallgrass prairie native with distinctive "crow's foot" seedheads that shifts to burgundy and bronze in fall, although some types, like Blackhawks (pictured above), start the show much earlier.
- Prairie dropseed grows in a low, fountain-like mound, with delicate seedheads that are lightly popcorn scented.
- Switchgrass is upright and dense, crowned by lacy seedheads. Many types have excellent fall color, with some starting their showy transition by late summer.
As a bonus, the native grasses host a wide array of skipper butterflies, increasing your chances of seeing more of these little guys in your garden:
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Big, showy statement grasses are more architectural than airy, adding drama and height to the garden.
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Miscanthus (maiden grass) has a substantial arching form, topped with feathery plumes in late summer and fall.
Hardy pampas grass is the largest perennial grass available in our area, a cold-hardy giant with big, dramatic plumes.
Feather reed grass stays neat and narrow. It's among the earliest ornamental grasses to develop seed heads. Although there are different varieties, the most famous is Karl Forester, pictured left.
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We've also got quite a few one-of-a-kind grasses, each with a signature look, distinct enough to be a focal point in the landscape.
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- Red Baron grass (Japanese blood grass) sports blades tipped with red. Although it's widely adaptable it likes wet soil, and it stays relatively short.
- River Oats is a graceful, spreading grass with dangling seed heads, great for filling in an area with medium to regular moisture. Native to Illinois stream banks, it tolerates more shade than most ornamental grasses.
- Cool as Ice Blue Fescue adds low clumps of steely blue color to dry, well-drained spots.
- Perennial Fountain Grass features soft mounds of foliage and bottlebrush-like plumes.
- Muhly Grass (pictured below) is a tough Texas native, famous for its feathery pink seed heads.
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Shade-tolerant grasses and grass-like plants let you get the textural contrast of the ornamental grasses and even turf in spots where sun-loving plants would struggle.
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- Japanese Forest Grass (pictured right) grows in waves of gold, brightening shady spots.
- The Sedges come in many colors, including blue, yellow, and variegated white. All of them will handle moisture and even standing water, but some, including the fescue-like Pennsylvania Sedge, are surprisingly drought tolerant.
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- Sweet Flag features grass-like foliage in shades of gold or cream. Like the sedges, it has quite a bit of drought tolerance, and can be a real problem solver in spots that puddle after heavy rain.
- Creeping Lily Turf (Liriope spicata) is a spreading, grass-like ground cover that makes a good, small-scale grass substitute for low-traffic areas. Tiny spikes of lavender flowers appear in late summer.
Grasses tie the landscape together in a unique way, and there's a grass for just about every type of garden. Stop in and let us help you find the right one for your yard!
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Two Days Left to Tackle That Project
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Think about the spot in your yard that's been bothering you all year. Maybe it's a garden bed that's looking rough around the edges. Maybe it's the path that's just mud and bare dirt. Whatever it is, it would feel great to get it done.
Right now is a good time to make that happen.
Hardy Hoerr's Rock & Roll Sale lasts through Labor Day weekend, with savings on sod and bulk landscape material plus discounted delivery, but there's only two days left! If there's a project that's been bugging you every time you look out the window, give us a call at Stone Market, and we'll help check it off your list.
Not sure how much material you'll need? The online calculator on our Stone Market page will help you estimate quantities and put together a quote, no guesswork involved. If you'd rather talk it through with someone, call Stone Market directly at 309-689-2513, or drop by and have a look around. We'll help you get your project moving.
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We'll be closed Monday, September 7, for Labor Day, so our team can enjoy a well-deserved rest, but we'll be back Tuesday to help with whatever's next for your garden. Enjoy the holiday!
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