Press Release

Many of us lawn care nuts want our outdoor spaces to look as gorgeous and inviting as possible. Lawn maintenance is an important aspect of owning a home, but sometimes we can slip up on our lawn care calendar.

When it comes to severely damaged, neglected, or stressed lawns, it can be hard to determine if the lawn can be rejuvenated or requires a new installation—especially if the grass is brown. Most of us hope for the former possibility, however, a brand-new lawn has its perks as well. In some cases such as a severe freeze, a helpful trick to determine the difference between a lawn that can be brought back and a lawn that is dead is by looking to the source—the grass roots.

Start by pulling a few small, underground strands of grass, or rhizomes, near the edge of the lawn. This can be around driveways, sidewalks, or any other hardscape feature. If there are small, hairy roots that might be clinging to soil or appear white in color, this is a good sign that the lawn can be rejuvenated. Roots covered in dirt are clinging to soil so that they can absorb nutrients.
 
Another method is to brush up some of the brown grass and see if there’s any green color underneath. If there’s even a small amount of green amidst the yellow and brown, it’s likely that the lawn can be brought back. 

A few steps for repairing a damaged lawn include watering it, applying fertilizer, and making sure it can grow in good environmental conditions. It’s highly recommended that a soil analysis is collected and submitted to a local extension office to determine what caused the lawn’s health to decline or die. It may reduce the chances of the same accident happening again by providing the homeowner with methods of prevention. Having knowledge about which nutrients are in the soil and which ones are lacking will assist in the next fertilizer selection as well.

In some cases, the lawn may be dead. But don’t be discouraged! This can serve as a great, exciting opportunity to renovate the lawn and install fresh, new sod.

Before jumping to make a few calls for an installation project, take a few things into consideration: What caused the lawn to die in the first place? It’s still helpful to collect and submit a soil analysis to identify the exact cause of the dead lawn so that it doesn’t happen again. What sort of grass is ideal for the environment and climate the home is located in? What should the new lawn to look like?

Being able to answer some of these questions will help narrow down the turfgrass selection to a variety that is ideal for the home’s situation.

Please feel free to share or adapt this article in your newsletter or other customer communications with credit to NICH/consumerhort.org.

Valerie Smith is the UX Specialist & Content Editor at SodUniversity.com, the resource center of Sod Solutions. 

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The Sunflower is one of the most popular genera of flowers for the garden and is one reason it was chosen as the annual in National Garden Bureau’s 2021 Year of the Sunflower. Gardeners gravitate to these bold, easy-to-grow flowers either for cut flowers or floriferous shrubs or head-turning focal points.

Choosing which variety to grow is the hard part! Single stem sunflower varieties are best for high-density plantings and produce consistently beautiful flowers on tall stems. Succession planting will be needed for continuous blooms throughout the season. Branching varieties produce flowers on multiple shorter stems throughout the season, which makes them ideal for sunflowers all season long.

Another way to distinguish sunflowers is by their height and size. Today, there are smaller, ornamental sunflower varieties to grow in containers. Other varieties, such as American Giant can grow to be 15+ feet. Depending on their height, the size of the flower will also change accordingly.

Sunflower seeds can be direct sown after the risk of frost has passed or get a head start by starting indoors. Seeds should be sown ¼” to ½” deep and kept moist. Taller, larger sunflower varieties have a large taproot to keep them rooted and do not do well when transplanted so direct sowing of those varieties is recommended. Choose a site, or a container, in full sun, with average fertility and good drainage. Then sit back and enjoy the show. 

Please feel free to share or adapt this article in your newsletter or other customer communications with credit to NICH/consumerhort.org.

Diane Blazek is the Executive Director at All-America Selections/National Garden Bureau. The National Garden Bureau is a non-profit organization that exists to educate, inspire, and motivate people to increase the use of plants in homes, gardens, and workplaces by being the marketing arm of the gardening industry. 

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National Herb Week, established by the International Herb Association, is the week prior to Mother’s Day. Celebrate National Herb Week by adding herbs to your garden.

Growing herbs benefits you and supports your garden’s pollinators. Herbs can be used for many reasons: culinary, teas, and beverages, medicinal, aromatherapy, dyes, ornamental, crafts, cosmetics, and toiletries. According to the Herb Society of America, herbs are “plants (trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, biennials, or annuals) valued historically, presently, or potentially” for their use to humans. Often these uses overlap and many people do not realize that herbs are beneficial to beneficial insects and pollinators as well.

Herbs support pollinators, especially the native bees that are facing decline, and some species of butterflies including the monarch (yes milkweed is an herb). Bees and butterflies are attracted to herbs typically grown for their flowers such as borage, calendula, anise hyssop, lavender, monarda, and violets. Caterpillars, the larval stage of butterflies, love to eat the foliage of parsley, dill, and fennel. Hummingbirds, a type of pollinating bird, enjoy the nectar of monarda, anise hyssop, pineapple sage, and nasturtiums. Herbs that are typically grown for foliage — basil, cilantro, oregano, lemon balm, lovage and mint – will attract bees and butterflies if you let them flower. Or plant some for your pesto and salsa and some for the pollinators, letting the plants flower on purpose.

Pollinators love herbs because most herbs are straight species, their flower and leaf structures have not changed over time. Most herbs are also open pollinated, rich in nectar and pollen. From an ecological perspective, herbs increase biodiversity in the garden which increases resilience to pests, diseases, and climate change.

Celebrate National Herb Week by exploring herbs’ ability to add to your and your garden’s health. 

Please feel free to share or adapt this article in your newsletter or other customer communications with credit to NICH/consumerhort.org.

Peggy Riccio is a horticulturist and garden communicator who initiated the Culinary Herbs and Spices Facebook group. Her website, pegplant.com, is an online resource for gardeners in the DC metro area. 

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School gardens are nothing new. The first recorded school garden program in Europe was in 1811 and the first of the American school gardens was in 1891. Victory gardens in the United States School Garden Army (USSGA) became popular during WWI. The goal was to incorporate an agriculture curriculum into public school education. At that time, the schools grew relief gardens during the Great Depression and they were used to raise the spirits of the local citizens and nourish the students and their families.

During WWII, victory gardens were popular again. The green revolutions of the 1970s and 1990s led to school garden initiatives and the trend continued with Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move Campaign’. Today the USDA National Farm to School Movement is continuing the efforts of educating children about vegetable gardening and both the nutritional and well-being benefits of growing and consuming these foods.

Research compiled by the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture (NICH) reveals the benefits of plants and gardening on the learning process, including a 10% or more improvement on test scores, an increase in positive feelings, a reduction in misbehavior, and an increase in creativity and a calmer more relaxed mood reported by both teachers and students.

More findings on the learning benefits of plants can be found in the infographic, “#PlantsDoThat Where We Learn,” available for download, reprint, or adaptation at consumerhort.org. When posting on social media, please use the hashtag #PlantsDoThat.

The National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture (NICH) is a consortium of industry leaders who are promoting the benefits and value of horticulture. NICH brings together academia, government, industry, and nonprofits to cultivate the growth and development of a healthy world through landscapes, gardens and plants — indoors and out.

To celebrate Kids Gardening Month, we’ve compiled a “Horticulture Hunt” for you to share and engage in! Check it out.

Please feel free to share or adapt this article in your newsletter or other customer communications with credit to NICH/consumerhort.org.

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A few properly placed shrubs and trees can significantly cut winter winds – and home energy costs.

Wind affects the temperature inside your home by pushing the air you’re paying to heat out of cracks and openings in your home — a process called air infiltration. Sealing those cracks inside your house can help, but so can trees and shrubs outside the house.

Dense evergreens planted on the north or northwest side of your home can help slow and deflect these winds. An understory of densely-branched shrubs can help to fill any gaps.

The U.S. Department of Energy says that just three properly placed trees can save $100 to $250 in energy costs per year. The Arbor Day Foundation estimates a windbreak can lower your heating bills by 10 to 20 percent. Research conducted in the Great Plains region puts the savings as high as 25 percent! 

Landscaping can also help with cooling costs in summer. Research compiled by NICH (National Institute for Consumer Horticulture) shows a 25-foot tree reduces annual heating and cooling costs for the typical home by 8 – 12 %.

More findings on the environmental benefits of plants can be found in the infographic, “#PlantsDoThat for Cities and Suburbs,” available for download, reprint, or adaptation at consumerhort.org. When posting on social media, please use the hashtag #PlantsDoThat.

The National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture (NICH) is a consortium of industry leaders who are promoting the benefits and value of horticulture. NICH brings together academia, government, industry, and nonprofits to cultivate the growth and development of a healthy world through landscapes, gardens and plants — indoors and out.

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Many people enjoy looking at plants and flowers and find it relaxing to dig in the dirt. But research and a growing number of horticulture therapy programs are showing that gardening holds serious healing power.

Trained and certified therapists, including members of the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA), help clients treat physical and psychological conditions including PTSD, addiction, and dementia through gardening.

According to the AHTA website, “Horticultural therapy helps improve memory, cognitive abilities, task initiation, language skills, and socialization. In physical rehabilitation, horticultural therapy can help strengthen muscles and improve coordination, balance, and endurance.”

Horticulture therapy programs have been implemented in schools, correctional facilities, retirement homes, hospitals, outpatient facilities, and community centers, and the same techniques can be adapted to home gardens. More information on finding a program or licensed therapist can be found at AHTA.org.

National Garden Bureau past-president Heather Kibble says, “Caring for plants and experiencing nature brings healing and purpose to people whose lives have been affected by illness, addiction, violence or military service.” The National Garden Bureau (NGB.org) administers an annual grant for therapeutic gardens to support garden-based education and therapy.

Research compiled by the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture (NICH) reveals other benefits of plants and gardening on the healing process, including a reduction in the amount of pain relievers taken post-surgery by patients in rooms containing plants. Plants in room décor also reduced the stress, blood pressure, and reported fatigue levels of hospital patients.

More findings on the healing benefits of plants can be found in the infographic, “#PlantsDoThat Where We Heal,” available for download, reprint, or adaptation at consumerhort.org. When posting on social media, please use the hashtag #PlantsDoThat.

The National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture (NICH) is a consortium of industry leaders who are promoting the benefits and value of horticulture. NICH brings together academia, government, industry, and nonprofits to cultivate the growth and development of a healthy world through landscapes, gardens and plants — indoors and out.

Please feel free to share or adapt this article in your newsletter or other customer communications with credit to NICH/consumerhort.org.

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