Son of renowned horticulturist Don Hastings, Chris Hastings presents his readers with step-by-step instructions for year-round care of lawns from Virginia to Texas.

DIVAt heart, almost every homeowner would love to have a better lawn—greener, denser, healthier. This book is an up-to-date, environmentally responsible approach to lawn care with mainstream appeal. It focuses on dozens of common lawn problems, offering detailed solutions to each one. An ideal reference for busy homeowners who want better grass quickly and easily. /div

Lawns now blanket thirty million acres of the United States, but until the late nineteenth century few Americans had any desire for a front lawn, much less access to seeds for growing one. In her comprehensive history of this uniquely American obsession, Virginia Scott Jenkins traces the origin of the front lawn aesthetic, the development of the lawn-care industry, its environmental impact, and modern as well as historic alternatives to lawn mania.

Foreword INDIES 2005 Popular Culture Book of the Year A fresh look at the origins of our iconic immigrant flora and fauna, revealed with wit and reverence for nature Aliens live among us. Thousands of species of nonnative flora and fauna have taken up residence within U.S. borders. Our lawns sprout African grasses, our roadsides flower with European weeds, and our homes harbor Asian, European, and African pests. Misguided enthusiasts deliberately introduced carp, kudzu, and starlings. And the American cowboy spread such alien life forms as cows, horses, tumbleweed, and anthrax, supplanting and supplementing the often unexpected ways "Native" Americans influenced the environment. Aliens in the Backyard recounts the origins and impacts of these and other nonindigenous species on our environment and pays overdue tribute to the resolve of nature to survive in the face of challenge and change. In considering the new home that imported species have made for themselves on the continent, John Leland departs from those environmentalists who universally decry the invasion of outsiders. Instead Leland finds that uncovering stories of alien arrivals and assimilation is a more intriguing—and ultimately more beneficial—endeavor. Mixing natural history with engaging anecdotes, Leland cuts through problematic myths coloring our grasp of the natural world and suggests that how these alien species have reshaped our landscape is now as much a part of our shared heritage as tales of our presidents and politics. Simultaneously he poses questions about which of our accepted icons are truly American (not apple pie or Kentucky bluegrass; not Idaho potatoes or Boston ivy). Leland's ode to survival reveals how plant and animal immigrants have made the country as much an environmental melting pot as its famed melding of human cultures, and he invites us to reconsider what it means to be American.

This book was written with these things in mind, I guiding every lawn care enthusiast through the steps needed to continue caring for a lawn without letting the concerns that develop because of unnatural products overwhelm you or your lawn. The keys to organic lawn care, starting with how to create a low-maintenance lawn, are laid out in great detail in this book, providing the essential information you need to enjoy your yard while not endangering the environment, your pets, or your children. You will learn how to keep your lawn healthy with the right soil, seed, sod, and feed without using any chemically enhanced products and how you can start caring for your lawn by mowing, watering, fertilizing, edging, and trimming with organic fertilizers and tools. Finally, learn how to change your existing lawn so that it is both environmentally sound and just as beautiful as it has always been. The final step in the process will show you how to deal with pests, disease, and weeds in your lawn organically. --Book Jacket.

Take a meandering journey through a collection of Country Life blog articles written by Dori Fritzinger for the Lehman's Store in Kidron, Ohio.

Golf Turf Management provides information on major agronomic and economic topics related to building and maintaining a viable golf course. The book features basic and applied information on available grasses including selection and use; applied turfgrass physiology; soils and soil amendments; environmental concerns; and comprehensive information on turfgrass physiology, plant nutrition, turf fertilizers, and water management. It discusses managing turf diseases, insects, and weeds; turf cultural practices; managing greens and tees as well as corporate course management strategies. Color photographs throughout illustrate concepts and topics including all major pest problems associated with golf courses and various agronomic practices necessary for successful and profitable course operation. The book suggests strategies to develop best management practices for golf courses including personnel and financial considerations when developing and implementing annual budgets, leasing versus buying equipment, and managing inventory. This book features sixteen chapters organized in a logical sequence conducive for teaching and practical use. Drawing on the author's more than thirty years of experience and research, the author brings together a wealth of information on how to optimize golf turf management and performance. Golf Turf Management is the only complete, up-to-date text dedicated to agronomic practices and personnel management practices necessary for fiscal success.

If you're determined to create and maintain a beautiful bermuda-grass turf, then let this comprehensive reference be your guide. Here, you'll receive expert information on the fundamentals of green construction and growing-in processes, along with step-by-step cultural practices, and critical techniques for controlling weeds, insects, diseases, and nematodes. You get a comprehensive listing of the various bermudagrass species, complete with scientific and common names, propagation, and worldwide distribution. You'll also find out why and where certain weeds are likely to grow and what cultural or chemical remedies best keep them in check. Nearly 600 photographs illustrate the various stages of plant development and emphasize the key identification characteristics of each plant.