Grass needs a haircut.

Lush lawns take work and mowing properly is key to building a lush lawn. When I drive through a neighborhood and see grass cut so short, I can almost see the soil, I lament. That poor homeowner will probably spend money on fertilizer to encourage his grass to grow and weed killer to destroy the weeds he encourages with SHORT grass. But wait, a dry spell is on its way in late summer and a brown lawn for this poor fellow.

Grass is more than a stem, but when we cut it short, all we have left are stems. Set your mower high and cut grass at least 3 inches high. Then you will see blades (leaves) on the stems. Cutting the grass high encourages more growth in the roots, produces more stems with more blades of grass on the stems, and creates a thick carpet that begs for bare feet.

Thick grass saves you money and enhances your environment in the process. Who isn't interested in saving hard earned money? Thick grass discourages weeds, so you purchase less weed killers. Thick grass is more immune to dry spells in late summer, so you save money on watering, not to mention the time saved for more interesting pursuits.

So set your mower deck high, (mine is as high as it will go) and enjoy a greener summer.

Rhubarb! Scrumpdelecious!

Rhubarb stirs pleasant childhood memories in my soul. A freshly pulled stalk, wiped clean on my shorts or shirt, and popped into my mouth produced an unforgettable sweet/sour taste that I can actually feel in my mouth as I think about it. Remember how those glands on either side of your mouth react to sour tastes? I can feel it now.

My mom had a big patch of rhubarb along a fence row bordering her rather huge garden. She created lots of rhubarb treats through the spring while it was crisp, tender, and TART!

Rhubarb, fresh cut, combined with juicy red strawberries, then tucked between two crusts and baked for 50 minutes at 425 F produced my first pie for the spring season.

My husband, David, and I, each savored a warm, juicy slice with glasses of cold milk.

I planted a pot of Canadian Red Rhubarb in a plant bed last spring. I had access to some composted horse manure and worked that into the soil at the time. Then a couple of weeks ago I dug some rich humus soil in around the plant. Although our spring has been cold and wet, the rhubarb has thrived. So Tuesday, I pulled all the largest stalks and made a pie. Pulling large stalks stimulates the plant to produce more.

Composted horse or cow manure is a good amendment to any soil. Check out your local garden supply for bags or if you are fortunate, perhaps a neighbor has a pile near the horse barn. Composed manures are odor free, so you can use them near the house or wherever you need them.

No compost available? There are many alternatives including Proven Winners plant foods.

Back to childhood memories. Our next door neighbor's rhubarb patch flourished near our gravel drive. The leaves on those plants were so large, they served as umbrellas on rainy childhood days. I wonder if little girls still make umbrellas from rhubarb leaves and splash in the puddles?

Roses, love them or hate them.

Roses, love them or hate them. My tea and grandiflora roses may be DEAD! I neglected to throw some extra soil up against the canes last fall after the ground froze. They look dead now. There appears to be a little green near the base so I'll wait for a while and see if the growth is above the graft or below the graft. Thankfully, I only have three!

I'm glad I planted shrub roses last year. They are hardy souls and are already flushing out. I added two to a plant bed. They took off like rockets and grew from a 2 gallon pot size to about 18 inches tall by 20-24 inches wide in one season.

We fight Japanese Beetles in the summer and they love the leaves on roses, but shrub roses thrive in spite of the pesky beetles.

Shrub roses produce abundant and continuous blooms all summer until frost. These low maintenance beauties are hardy, disease resistant, and fragrant. A light shearing removes spent blossoms when you see lots of them. You don't have to shear them because they will continue to produce new growth and bloom over the spent blooms.

Last week, I used my hedge pruners and cut them back to about half their size and shaped them a little. Yesterday, I dug some rose food into the soil and now I'll stand back and watch while they deliver weeks of breath taking beauty.

So put a couple in your garden space, sit back and enjoy the show.