[Spring/Summer 2015] Home Landscaping

Homeowners, it's almost that time once again. We're getting plenty of rain and Spring is right around the corner. I plan on getting my hands really dirty in both my front and back yards this year. I'm going to clean out all of my flower beds and put out a quick release fertilizer for my lawn this weekend. So I thought I'd start this thread in hopes of keeping an ongoing discussion throughout the summer.

I'll start with seeking recommendations on a new self propelled lawn mower. I'm replacing my oft-injured Troy-Bilt push mower for something more reliable. And with my lessons learned from maintenance and repairs on this old one, I'm wanting it to be my last purchase for at least 5-10 years.

I'm eyeing THIS Honda mower from Home Depot. $399.99 and I have a 10% off coupon as well. Any other recommendations? I'm on a 1/4 acre lot and I'm really looking for a mower with rear wheel self propel, a known and reliable engine, and wheels that are easily adjusted for height. Looking to spend around $400, $500 absolute max.

 

I'm going to try Nitro Phos Imperial 15-5-10 for my first application this year. This stuff should make your lawn green up very quickly according to what I've read and feeds your lawn for around 30 days. So after that I'll spread a more nitrogen rich slow release fertilizer. I'm going to go to a few places around my job before the weekend to see if I can find some.

 

Not at all sure why I thought I would have to go around searching, Houston Garden Center has it.

 

So I got out there this past weekend. Picked up the mower I mentioned in the OP and I think it's going to be a winner. Mowed my backyard, which was a swamp with large sections of weeds over a foot tall. It pushed right through with me only having to rock it every 20 feet or so to clear the grass blocking the discharge. Took me about 45 minutes, which is a feat considering the shape that the backyard was in. Would've took me nearly two hours with my old mower. I was also glad to see that the Husqvarna trimmer that that I purchased last Spring cranked right up after a full winter of none use.

I found the Nitro-Phos fertilizer that I mentioned earlier at my local Ace Hardware. Bought a bag of Imperial 15-5-10 and spread it for the first feeding out front. I also picked up a bag of Superturf 19-4-10 that I'll begin using early/mid next month.

Checked my Hibiscus plants for life by cutting a few of their branches and checking for green. Looks like they survived the winter so next I'll be fertilizing them along with my Crape Myrtle. I also adjusted my sprinkler heads, and took measurements to add a new zone. Thinking about replacing all of my current sprinkler heads for better distribution and coverage.

As for new additions, I'm considering digging up the Mexican Fan Palm that I planted a couple of years back before it grows too large and replacing it with another flower bed. And I believe that I've settled on Begonias for my annuals this year. The front of my home is shaded until late afternoon so I think they'll do just fine and add a ton of color.

 

Will do.

 

Nitro-Phos Imperial 15-5-10 ($17.99)

Spoiler

Nitro-Phos Superturf 19-4-10 ($27.99)

Spoiler

Click on the images for a larger view. Sorry about not taking better pics, but I was out back in the storage shed after dark with absolutely zero light outside of my cell phone.

I'm adding LED floods for the backyard to the to do list.

 

So, my front lawn has greened out in a major way. Deep dark green and THICK, I've had to mow twice in the last seven days. I do have one decent sized spot that appears to be dead. Looks like that spot didn't get enough water immediately after I layed the fertilizer and was burned. I'm disappointed because that's never happened before.

There's also a couple of clover patches that are thriving at the moment, but that's nothing unusual for my yard. The grass will choke them out soon enough.

But come on now, I can't be the only person here that obsesses over their front yard. How are things going for y'all?