Winter's rough, no doubt about it. Cold, snowy, blech. Animals hibernate, people disappear inside their heated houses, and once-green lawns become submerged underneath a thick layer of snow.

Just because all that life hides away out of sight doesn't mean it's gone, obviously. Baby deer and baseball games return in full force every spring.

But grass... well, your grass isn't always so lucky.

Lawns suffer in the winter when people forget there's green stuff underneath all that white stuff. All kinds of common winter activities can harm your yard and leave dead patches of soil where grass once grew. Plows dig up the lawn close to the road and snow blowers and shovels tear into the ground near driveways and walking paths. Playing children jump in the snow, compacting hidden soil and killing hidden grass. If your dog pees in one specific spot all winter lawn, the nitrogen-heavy urine builds up in the ground and burns away the lawn in that spot.

Life needs nutrients to grow and thrive. Babies drink their mother's milk, healthy adults eat a balanced diet, and lions consume the meat of spry gazelles. Your lawn's no different – grass is a form of life that needs the same nutrients as anything else.

Okay, maybe not the exact same nutrients – you won't see turfgrass rearing up to eat small savannah animals anytime soon. Lawns draw their sustenance from the soil they're planted in, in the form of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and a host of other nutrients.

Over time, however, hungry lawns and plants suck the available nutrients out of the ground, leaving behind empty soil. Lawns rooted in empty soil become malnourished and grow limp and brown.

Treating sod like any other purchase is a big mistake. Choosing sod for your yard takes much more preparation and care than buying carpet for your living room – at least if you want the installation to be successful.

For most of the things we buy, quality can be broken down into a number of statistics, properties we can measure: the thread count of a sheet, or whether a rug is fire proof or fire resistant. Sod can be inspected in a number of ways too: the thickness of the soil and the price per square foot are two common measurables. However, unlike carpets and sheets, sod is a living, breathing entity, panels or strips of mature lawn, and the condition of the sod coming in has a huge effect on the final look of a lawn.

Your  home is your castle. At the end of a hairy scary day, nothing feels better than walking through that front door and shutting it behind you. The outside world with all of it’s problems and drama fade away. You put down your things, kick off your shoes, and seek your comfortable place. This is what being home should feel like, and there really is no place like it.  

Home is also where we can be ourselves and keep our stuff. It shows our style, and even speaks volumes on what makes us tick. We don’t have to own our homes for them to be ours. They don’t even have to be houses to be a home. They can be apartments, condos, or even boats tied to decks.  

Many people want to have a beautiful lawn without all of the harmful effects of synthetic fertilizers. If you live in an area that has storm drains, the chemical-laden water draining from your lawn will go directly into a sewage treatment plant, which may not be adequately equipped to process the chemicals found in synthetic fertilizers. Consequently, the treated water released from the plant may be released into waterways and nearby streams, causing enormous environmental harm.

Aside from the environmental impact of synthetic fertilizers, studies show that organic fertilizers are a better choice because they help build up the delicate local ecosystem that helps keep your lawn healthy. This includes making a healthier habitat for the helpful bacteria, fungi and earthworms that aerate the soil. Fortunately, organic fertilizers are now widely available, easy to use and come in a wide variety of application methods and products you can choose from.

Gone are the days when grass was just, well… grass. Today, savvy lawn owners are interested in imported specialty grasses and exotic species from around the world or for their lawn. Despite this unprecedented level of choice, it’s important to remember that not every grass is suitable for every climate. Here are a few things to keep in mind when selecting grasses for your particular climate:

Weather Considerations

As you may be aware, Kentucky Bluegrass is enormously popular. However, because of its water requirements, trying to grow this species of grass in a desert area is going to be very difficult. Aside from water requirements, you will need to consider things like the average temperature during the dormant season, as well as the growing season. Depending on the species of grass, you may even find that a winter temperature that is too warm will inhibit the plants from growing in the spring.

For many people one of the biggest parts of being a homeowner is taking care of their lawn. A well kept line shows pride, dedication, and prosperity. However, a well kept lawn also requires dedication, money, and time. For many people that's just too much of an investment.

The trend these days is decorative stonework, and you see it in a variety of different uses: driveways, walkways, patios, porches, pathways, decorative stones... you name it and someone has found a way to do it in decorative stonework.

Looks are subjective, and for that reason I'm not going to tell you that one is better than the other. Instead, I'm going to lay out a series of points for each and you can make your own decisions. Like anything there are going to be different options available depending on where you live and who you know. Before you make any drastic changes that you can't reverse make sure that the option that you have chosen is the right one for you.

A grass type that has been around for quite some time is the bluegrass. This type of grass has been used by people throughout the country for centuries in hopes of creating the perfect lawn. While the grass can be a bluer looking green color, bluegrass is still essentially the color green, like most grass is.

Bluegrass carries several advantages with it to the lawn owners who choose to use it. For one it has great density and color, as mentioned before. When properly taken care of, bluegrass creates a perfect lawn that is sure to get noticed by neighbors. In addition, it is perfect for sitting and running on. The grass is not too prickly to walk on with bare feet in the summer, nor is it so soft that it crumples under a human's skin.

Seeding your lawn can have great rewards if done properly. The first thing you have to do is to select a grass type that is suited to grow in your area. Then, measure the surface area of your lawn to determine the amount of seed you'll need. The information printed on the seed packs will tell you how much seed is needed per square foot. Take note of this information when you purchase seed at your local nursery. Two or three days before sowing, it's important that you apply granular fertilizer over your lawn.

Next, you have to level the soil in the same manner described in "Sodding Tips". Set your seed spreader at the right setting and fill it with half of the seeds you need. Walk at a steady pace as you start sowing. It's best to move back and forth the length of your lawn in alternating directions. After you've covered the entire lawn surface with half the seeds, walk along the width of your lawn (perpendicular to your previous direction) and sow the rest of the seeds. Doing this will make the seed distribution more even.

Some people prefer sodding their lawns rather than sowing grass seeds. Seeding is generally cheaper than sodding, but it takes much longer. With sodding, you get "instant lawn grass". To get a high quality lawn, sodding should be done with great care. Here are some steps you can follow to cultivate a beautiful lawn by sodding:

First, you must select the right grass type for your lawn. Measure the surface area of your lawn to determine the amount of sod you need. You can either pick up the sod yourself or have it delivered to your home. If you pick up the sod, try to lay it out on your lawn that same day. If not, try to store it in a shady place and moisten the sod pieces with a watering can or a hose.