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    Dear gardeners, friends, and curious ones:
   
From the Gonzo:
   A beautiful spring season after a very grim winter. A recent article in the paper about the bagging of lawn clippings and the cost to haul them to the compost site.
The article goes on to tout the benefits of using a mulching mower and leaving the clippings in the lawn. This works well and is beneficial. The problem is when the grass is left to long between mowings, leaving too much green hay on the lawn.
This can be alleviated, by mowing more often. At this time of the season, mid April until the 4th of July well kept lawns need a mowing every 4 to 5 days. From July into September the mowing cycle can be changed to every 7 or 8 days depending on temperature and rainfall. Cool season turf grasses lose a large portion it of there roots during periods of high temperatures. During this time, water once or twice a week and reduce the mowing. In other words, mow when the grass needs , not just on Saturday mornings.

   Mowing, is 70% of having a good lawn. Mow when the lawn needs it. Change the direction of the cut each time that you mow. Always mow high. Sharpen your blade every 4 mowings, this takes a half an hour and all you need is a long box end wrench and a file. Finally do not mow in the morning, as there is to much dew and moisture in the grass. Wait until after one  in the afternoon or later.  Also, stay off of the grass, other than to mow it. Let the children play at the neighbors or the park, as compaction is harmful to the grass .You probably do not like to be told that your turf grass problems are caused by you, but as Walt Kelly said in the Pogo comics, "We have seen the enemy and he is us." That is my scold for the month.

   What is a good tree? Depends on the site and your landscape. Two trees I'd recommend  out of many are, Canada Red Chokeberry, Prunus virgiana 'Shubert's Canada Red'and, the Serviceberry, Autumn Brilliance' Amelancheir arborea 'Autumn Brilliance'.

Go out and garden, it will make you feel better, unless you are like my neighbor who confessed to me the other day , that he hates yard and garden work. We are having day of April showers, so I won't garden until tomorrow.

Best of luck,

George Osborne
The Gonzo Gardener

Our booth at the 2004 Garden Show in Lawrence

For your edification, I am including a report that my son Nicholas wrote for 9th grade English after working for me for the summer of 1994.

My First Work Experience
    " My father owns a landscape design and installation company. Last summer I worked for him for two months. I did the work for two reasons: for the money, and because I was forced to. My dad thought that the job would build character and give me a sense of responsibility. It didn't. The work would not have been that bad if I had been able to spend all the money I earned. Instead, almost all my pay went toward college.
    Work started every weekday morning at seven and lasted until lunch. The types of jobs I did were planting plants,spreading wood chips,mixing soil with compost and amendments, and hauling large pieces of rock.. I worked with two people, Thomas and Gary. Thomas was a college student majoring in theater. He is also Oliver Newton's brother. Gary was a doctoral student in biology.
    One of the people we worked for was a lady named Janet. She wasn't satisfied with the rock we brought for her garden. She kept telling us that te rock had to speak to her, and the one we brought to her didn't. We tried to explain to her that rocks don't talk, but she was evil. She made us take the rock back and look for new ones. We never found one that spoke to her.
    One new experience that working made possible was a hernia. One day while working with Thomas, I felt extreme pain in my groin. Even though I claimed to be in pain, Thomas continued to make me haul large wheelbarrows full of gravel. He thought I was just trying to get out of work. The doctor, however, said otherwise. Thus, my summer ladscaping job came to an end.
    I did not like the work I was doing for my dad. I hated having to get up before seven every morning in the summer. The best part of the job was getting out of it for my surgery. I learned I would rather sit at home bored with no money, than do physical labor. I also learned that surgery can be fun."

    This was in 1994. Since that time Nick has turned out to be a very competent worker for me. You too can become a competent gardener, just give me a call and I will save you from hernia surgery and getting up before seven in the morning.






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