If you're not barefoot in the grass, you're overdressed.

Hello, again!

One of the reasons I enjoy spending time in the Flint Hills of Kansas is the plants. Plants add so much to any space. What would a Disney Park be without plants? The Bartlett Arboretum would be just another spot on the prairie without plants. Trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials and turf all blend together to create a better living space.

Living in what is referred to as the ‘transition zone’, we are able to enjoy both northern (cool season) turf or southern (warm season) turf types. Our cool season types such as fescue and bluegrass are greener longer during the year. Warm season types such as bermuda grass, zoysia and buffalo grass have a shorter growing season, but require less water and typically may be mowed at a shorter height.

For a good warm season turf option in our area, I’ll lead people to our Monaco Bermudagrass seed. We sell Monaco seed because of its standout performance in the National Turf Evaluation Program. It has excellent density and wear tolerance. Bred for a genetically darker green color, it also has quicker spring green-up, high fall color retention, and winter hardiness to help further extend the growing season for transition-zone areas. Monaco seed is also enhanced with Yellow Jacket Seed Enhancement Technology to retain moisture.

Buffalograss, another warm season turf, is a soft-textured, fine-leafed sod forming grass which has endured for thousands of years in the harsh climate of the American Great Plains. Buffalograss provides a beautiful turf with a unique combination of low maintenance requirements and tolerance to extremes of heat, cold and drought. Barefoot Buffalograss (coming soon in store) is the ultimate low maintenance lawn. Once established, it seldom requires irrigation or fertilization. It is naturally low growing and requires little mowing. That’s music to our ears!

Now is the perfect time to plant warm season lawns. With the warm season upon us, it germinates and establishes quickly. Killing out existing grasses and weeds with Hi-Yield Super Killz-All now and reseeding may be done in as little as a week. An application of ferti-lome New Lawn Starter at seeding time assists in establishment of the new turf.

Come see us for answers to all of your lawn and landscape questions.

Your friend in the garden,

Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Center