April showers bring spring aeration. Soggy conditions May not make for the postcard perfect moments conjured by the imagination, but they certainly make for more efficient lawn maintenance. Powerful core drills sink into the supple soil pulling earthy plugs up onto the surface where they will dissolve in the coming days. And perforated ground improves air circulation which fortifies root growth, holistically invigorating the health of the turf.
In keeping with our holistic approach to gardening, orcharding, and landscaping, we’ve come to rely upon… [aeration] to ensure robust lawns. Experience has shown us that a healthy diet of organic fertilizer, zero pesticide, and aeration nurtures not only an attractive ground cover, but a resilient heterogenous sod that rebounds quickly after drought, etc. (Source: Autumn Aeration – Rosslyn Redux)
In the photograph above Tony Foster captured a “portrait” of the lawn aerator (DR Power) posing proudly in front of ADK Oasis Lakeside. He had just completed spring aeration of all three properties, marking another noteworthy accomplishment. Hurrah, Tony! Thank you.
Holistic Lawn Care
Upon arriving at Susan’s parents’ home in Montclair, New Jersey one afternoon about a decade ago we found the lawn perimeter marked with small “Beware poison!” flags.
A passionate but shortlived skirmish about lawn pesticides later my bride and my mother-in-law yielded in deténte. Susan reminded her mother that we’ve never once used pesticides at Rosslyn. Shirley countered, “And that’s why your lawn’s covered in weeds!” I guess that they both one?
The fact of the matter is that our holistic approach to lawn care — from fall and spring aeration to biennial organic fertilizer (mostly bat guano), from hand weeding thistles and any other especially disagreeable invaders to resisting the urge to trim grass super close to the ground — have gradually evolved our lawns into a robust heterogeneous turf that feels comfortable underfoot, appears pleasant to the eye, endures and/or rebounds from fluctuations in weather conditions, and requires no irrigation or synthetic supplements.
Yep, that was a hypoxic run-on sentence bristling with braggadocio. Apologies!
Long story short, holistic gardening works. Especially when the inimitable Tony Foster is piloting the aerator!
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