Archives for August 2013

Grass really is an amazing plant. It pumps more oxygen back into the atmosphere for us to breath than any other plant per square meter. Without grass we would all be gasping a bit, and feeling a bit miserable.

I think that is why so many sports are played on grassed areas. From young to old, from soccer to football, to baseball, to hockey, to Lawn bowls, to tennis, golf, cricket; we play sport outside on grass. And each one played on the right grass for the right conditions. I know that running around gives us all that endorphin rush, but I think aesthetically the green landscape also makes us feel, Happy, for want of a better word.

Our little farm is on the east coast of Australia on the border of NSW and QLD. A Perfect place in the world really I think. But recently I was given the opportunity to head over to WA to check out their similar conditions to ours and what they do about it. I learned so much.

I went to the WACCA! It was amazing and we got a little tour involving the grass. Wintergreen, Greenleaf Park, Couch. I leaned so much about where our grass goes and how and what it gets used for.
And how to use sandy soils to our advantage. And I can tell you, I certainly had a smile on my face looking at this grass.

Chat soon and give me a call and I will regal you with fun grass WACCA stories

Sare

A recent chat with a lady down the Shops, (I totally know. I am becoming one of those chatty women at the shops. Now that Caba has its own little shopping district, I can’t go to the shops in daggy clothes or take my kids in PJs anymore. Too many people recognize me and want to stop and chat) about how she would never consider getting REAL grass for her house because she has two largish dogs. A Labrador and a strange big fluffy dog. Both lovely active dogs. I questioned her on her reasons and she simple said that they will kill anything.

I then said that really, you need the right grass for the right area. At Coastal Turf we have 7 different varieties of REAL grass and all have their different uses and needs. Couches need lots of sunlight, but Wintergreen is so strong that even Footballers and their stud boots cannot kill it. Buffalo’s like shade, but because they grow in several layers, can take a bit of a beating. Carpet grass is robust and doesn’t mind the sun but prefers the shade. And I have always found that if the nutrient levels are there and the water is there, the grass will grow.

So dogs and Grass do mix, and really do save you a lot of cleaning. But  like all plants, Grass needs food, soil, and sunlight to grow. And by looking after your 4 legged family members you are also looking after yourself and the environment as well. A real win win win situation.

Chat soon

Sare

Keith and Indy. The Turf dogs. Perfect to trial the grass for your 4 legged family members.

The kids and I went to a local Tweed Shire park this week and had a great time before soccer training. Afternoon tea seems so much nicer outside on the grassy hills at the park than at home inside. And fortunately for us, on Tuesday the wind had not started up yet. It was wonderful to have the kids outside running around and great to see a park that was mostly grass land for kids to run on. So many of us are getting smaller yards and that means less grassed areas at home for our kids to play on, but as a bonus less for us to mow too.

We weren’t the only ones at the park after school either, there were heaps of kids walking home from school who stopped and had a wonderful play either on the equipment, but mostly on the grassed area, having a quick game of “footy” on the way home, a tag game running the grassed hills, learning a few cartwheels from friends on the soft grass, and so many other games.

At first I must admit I was a little surprised at how much all these kids stopped and played at the park before going home, but then I remembered when we were kids playing with our neighbours outside for hours too. I am sure there are kids playing games inside too, but there are so many who given the opportunity want to be outside running, jumping, cartwheeling, and PLAYING on the grass outside.

So lets keep giving them this opportunity. Lets keep our parks GREEN with grass, and parts of our yards soft green and fluffy for our kids to play on. And even hey, why not I might even go outside myself and try my luck at a cartwheel. But I think I will definitely give it a go on the Qld Blue Couch paddock, as it is soo super soft and fluffy at the moment. It loves its full sun that we have been having for a while now, and has its great dark green winter colour. I can’t emphasis enough the soft fluffiness of the Qld Blue Couch. Just the thing for a mother to embarrass herself in front of her kids trying to show them how cool I am, I mean SHE is,  by doing a quick few cartwheels this afternoon. But if like the certain she (or really me, Everyone knows it is me going out there to embarrass myself but have a good time doing it) and you don’t have a Farm with a lovely soft fluffy Qld Blue Couch, give us a call and we can get some Soft Fluffy Green Qld Blue Couch to your place. Don’t feel you have to cartwheel on it. But at least the opportunity is there….

Chat soon

Sare

The paddock that I shall be impressing my kids on….

Hasn’t the sun coming out again been a lovely welcome reminder of where we live? Seeing and feeling the warm sun again is marvelous. We even had a stop off on the weekend to the beach. It was still way to chilly for me to swim, but just being outside was wonderful.

Its almost as if the world has brought spring in a bit quicker this year. Its warming up, and as I was taking a stroll on Saturday afternoon around the back of the farm, I found our escaped chicken with 14 babies. At the Jet Sprint track behind the farm, there are 2 Rebel Roosters who walk around the track. And I think my wondering chicken may have visited these rebel Roosters and come back with 14 babies. No wonder there has been no eggs.  So babies are coming early as well, as if its an early spring. And with Spring thinking that it is already upon us, all those people who have been putting off installing your new lawn NOW IS THE TIME! Spring is perfect for new installations as its not to hot for you, and not finger numbingly cold either. Perfect for the installer. For the grass, its a great time too, because you wont need to water your newly installed lawn as heavily now as you will need to in the hotter months. And by the time that Summer comes, and Spring comes in with the calender, your new lawn will be established. Especially if you install a Qld Blue Couch lawn, the most drought tolerant lawn. Or a Palmetto Buffalo lawn that requires half the watering and mowing of any other Buffalo grass. Put some effort in now and relax in the warmer months.

Chat soon,

Hopefully not with the noise of 15 chickens in the background

Sare

I had the very fortunate event yesterday of my mother in law and father in law coming down for Grandparents day at my kids school and then asking if my husband and I would like to meet up at the local pub for lunch. I love pub lunches, they are always delicious. The catch up was wonderful as we hardly ever get to see them. And while I was at the Cabarita Beach pub – the Beach Bar, I thought I would just take a quick pic of our Empire Zoysia there.

As you can see the area is quite shaded and as you can imagine being a grassed area next to a pub its very well used. And its very green. My kids think that I am crazy taking pictures of grass, but there was also A LOT of pictures of them yesterday as well. Happy grandparents day!

Chat Soon

Sare

Today I have been spending a bit of time with my Empire Zoysia. Doing some bonding if you will. Well really I have been neglecting the Zoysia at my house. I haven’t mowed it all winter, and I don’t think I will even try until Spring. Its lovely dark rich colour and soft soft leaves make the best sitting ground around my Strawberry patch at home. My strawberry patch is growing some mulch (really grass clippings and other things the kids and I found) and it is in a bit of a shadey area so in winter it gets little to no sun and in summer its still shaded by the shed. And both my strawberries and my Zoysia love it. I must admit to having a little secret weapon for growing them both though….

It is letting my washing machine water flow over the area. Not that this winter, or summer we have needed that extra water. and I don’t know if it does anything, but the grass loves it, and I love that I have a soft area in the shade to sit, and kneel while I attend my strawberries (or really what I mean is kneel and eat as many as I can before the kids see I am there and want to share my strawberries. And then having a soft place to play wrestle with them while we “fight” over who gets that big gorgeous delicious strawberry). Actually I think that the Zoysia patch is calling me now, and of course those strawberries…

Chat Soon

Sare