Archives for August 2015

I think that Wintergreen Couch or just plain old boring Green couch as it colloquially known, all too often gets a bad wrap. Its called the cheap and nasty turf grass. The turf for people who don’t care about their lawns. Well I am here today to tell you just because something does not have a fancy name or have an expensive price tag, does not mean that it is Nasty.

Wintergreen Couch, the green variety we have at our farm, is so super soft fluffy deep green colour lawn, but it is tough and resilient as well. The fine leaf of the wintergreen makes it cushioning and fluffy against bare feet. It really is a joy to walk across. And to install. After 2 months of installing new lawns, mostly buffalo lawns, one of our young apprentices was so excited to install a Wintergreen Couch lawn. He lay down on the finished product to revel in its beautiful softness. From then on when ever I took him on a quote, he tried to talk people into a couch lawn, especially a wintergreen couch lawn, because he loved the softness so much. And he showed people his picture of him embracing the green couch. (The photo is on our Facebook page for all those who know who I am talking about.)

But being a big softy, doesn’t mean that Wintergreen couch is a push over, a weakling. Oh No! It can take on the heavy hitters and come out on top. The Wintergreen couch has a wonderful deep root system. So even if the leaf is taken down by an intense work out (like a dog running backwards and forwards near the fence line) the leaves will grow back quickly to make the area green again. This grass is so tough that it has been used in school playgrounds for years. Its tough enough to take the beatings of kids pounding it day after day with their feet, balls and play, but soft enough to cushion the falls of little ones. The grass is so tough that we a couple of years ago we installed Wintergreen couch at the Casuarina Hockey Club, and those tough Hockey players haven’t worn a dent in it yet. And those hockey players are strong people, with fast feet, and faster stronger arms. SoIi know when I take my daughter to play at Casuarina for her Hockey games, she will have a nice soft area to fall on, and slide on, and all those other hockey mad things they do.

Wintergreen is one of those unsung heroes. It has cushioned our feet and bodies for years and we have just walked all over it, expecting more and more. Wintergreen is amazing in full sun, not sucking up endless amounts of water in summer, not demanding high fertilisation in Winter, and still being soft and green for our backyard sports, like the infamous Summer backyard cricket match between the neighbours, or the Winter football Grand final between your street and one over, or just the relaxing all year sport of lying on the grass watching the clouds go by.

Really where would we all be without the good old wintergreen supporting our childhoods. And really where would we be going if we didn’t introduce our kids to the excitement of a Wintergreen Lawn.

And the reason it is so cheap compared to those zoysia and buffalo lawns? Because of its deep root system, the wintergreen can be harvested with ease and regrown on our farms quickly so we can get more green to you faster. Thats all. No mess, no fuss. All just good cheap green fun.

Chat Soon

Sare

On this very chilli cold morning, I have been trying to stay warm. But I haven’t really found a good way yet to bring feeling back into my fingers. I think that by lunch we should be all warm again. But until then, I thought I would share a story with you to warm your heart. And my fingers as well.

A couple of weeks ago, when it was really cold, a had an Emergency Turf Call from a Fencer friend of ours. Yes Turf farms do get Emergency Turf Calls. They vary in nature. From the “My lawn is dying, HELP!” to “My Hill is washing away, HELP!” to “Oh No, I forgot to order the turf that I told my partner I would, HELP”. The call from our Fencer friend was of a similar nature. His Mate was in a bit of a rush.

His wife had gone to Belgium to visit her family, for an actually health emergency. Much more important than a Turf Emergency. But her husband stayed at home, and as husbands who can’t fix the problem do, decided to do something else to make wives feel better, like fix their house and yard. His wife had been asking for many years now it seems to fix up a few things. So while his wife was away Mate wanted to do all the wonderful things to their home she had longed for. The thought was amazing. So he enlisted the help our Fencer friend, who is actually a Carpenter by trade, to help him renovate their lounge room, back terrace and of course their fence. Mate’s wife was due to be away for 3 weeks. So Our Fencer and his Mate thought they had plenty of time up their hand helping beautifying things. They pulled out walls, ripped out the kitchen, put up frames, put in sliding doors, put in new walls, all after they had both finished a day of paid work. A truly amazing effort.

Then Mates wife calls to say things have settled down in Belgium and she is coming home a week early. Joy and Panic buttons were pushed everywhere! Fencer went into crazy working mode finishing all the reno’s, and even calling in favours from other trade friends to get the job done quickly and beautifully. Mate worked harder than he ever had before, labouring for all trades. There were blisters and sweat and beers had by all. And 2 days before Mates wife was due to come home our Fencer friend rang me with his Turf emergency.

Now as most of you know we usually need 3 days notice for all deliveries. Coastal Turf is not only a family owned business, but we are a Family operated Business. Out if the 4 of us, really there is only Mick who isn’t related. Dad and Mick deliver your turf and look after the farm, Barbara (Dad’s cousin) answers the phones, and I deliver your turf, look after the farm, answer the phone, write interesting (hopefully) blogs and do all those other odd jobs no one else wants to do. And the week that Fencer called, Mick was away. So it was just Dad and I on the farm and delivering. And we were already trying to do the work of 3 with 2 people.

But a Turf Emergency, is a Turf Emergency. Especially for such a lovely husbandly cause. We knew we could harvest the turf, some beautiful Blue Couch, but Dad and I couldn’t work out how we were going to get it to him. Fencer said he could come and pick up one pallet at a time with his trailer. The order was 300sqm, thats 8 pallets. And A lot of trips. I thought I could hand deliver in 3 trips . After Fencer explained to Dad all the ins and outs of what he and Mate had done over the last 3 days, Dad and I made the call to work into the dark. We harvested in the late afternoon and dropped off the turf to Mate and Fencer in the dark. Mate had lovely neighbours who all didn’t mind the late delivery, with the noises of the truck and bobcat. They helped with lights and torches. I think for some of the kids it was the highlight of their week.

And the turf went down that night, and the next morning. That afternoon Mate went to pick up his wife from the airport. While he and fencer were putting the finishing touches on the house and lawn, Mate said how devastated he was that they were going to get home in the dark. And then his wife wouldn’t see all the amazing work he had down when she was away to make her happy . So being the quick thinking amazing man Fencer is, he suggested an overnight stay in Brisbane the night she got in, “Blaming tiredness of course and not wanting to drive home when both of you are tired”, and returning home in the light.

I saw Fencer a couple of days ago and I asked how Mate went. “Real Well! She was chuffed. He didn’t leave the house for 3 days, not even for a surf”.

Mate had made his wife extremely happy. And all of us Fencers friends all had that warm fuzzy feeling that comes from helping out a mate. And besides its always good to have a Carpenter owe you a favour….

Chat soon

Sare

On this cold windy chilli day, (dam you winter for returning so coldly) just a reminder that its not just your extremities that are cold. Your lawn will be feeling the chill as well. And may be a little in shock as well. I know I was to feel the cold return after the lovely warmer weather we had for a couple of days.

For your newly installed lawns, over the next two weeks, watch the leaf head for any curling.  If the leaf curls your lawn is drying out and needs a light sprinkle. Like people our lawns still need water in winter. But I know that I always forget to carry my water bottle to drink from in winter. In summer its like the second thing I reach for as I leave the door. This first is my phone, which is usually attached to one of my kids. And then I get to the end of the day feeling a little dehydrated. When your turf is first installed it is really relying upon the slab it comes with to survive. Its not until day 15 at the earliest that your new turf is actually nearly a lawn. So light watering is best to keep away those dehydration headaches, for you and your lawn.

For the long lawns that have been established for years, months, or forever, over the next two weeks, your lawn is about to wake up and try and capture all the warmth of Spring. And grow greener. This winter has been a cold wet one. A change on the coast to what we are used to. And this has caused a lot of soils to compact, restricting the air pockets within the soil, leaving no room for little organisms to move through the soils. It’s this movement through the soil that creates pockets for roots to grow and oxygen to reach the roots. The compact may make your lawn look a little lifeless. White leaves can be seen through your lawn. With your lawn about to wake up and start actively growing and looking for food, get your garden fork out and areate your lawn. Every couple of steps stab the ground and wiggle the fork to allow the air to down get to the roots. And then fertilise before the next rain with a pelletised Fertiliser like Dino Fert. And your lawn will show you all the benefits coming into Spring, and be less work in the heat of Summer.

I know I am really looking forward to the warmer weather coming along, and being able to feel my fingers first thing in the morning. My kids are just looking forward to wearing shorts again. For some reason wearing pants and jumpers is highly inconvenient to a 7 year olds life. Stay warm everyone.

Chat soon

Sare

 

This weekend, which fingers crossed will be Sunny, and a little bit warmer, I will be standing cheering and clapping as my daughter plays hockey. Its her first hockey carnival. She is super excited and I am excited for her. Being my first carnival I am hoping that I am prepared. I have my umbrella (for sun and rain), my chair (for the in-between times) an esky of food, money to buy better food from the canteen, and hat. I’m sure I am forgetting so many things. This weekend I am really just looking forward to spending the day outside in the sun on the grass.

Its these sunny winter weekends that draw us all outside. Outside to sporting events, like kids Gala Hockey days, outside to stroll in the sun, outside to play in out yards. Doing all those little odd jobs that you mean to do in summer, but really its way more fun to go and play than fix things up. At least at this time of year, when you work in your yard you get nice and warm! And living in our beautiful climate this time of year is great for installing new turf. So now is a great time to potter around in your yard and fix up your lawn. Either install a whole new one or patch up those pieces that need a bit of new life brought back in. And it makes you feel all warm inside. A little bit from all the physical work you do, but mostly because you can have that instant satisfaction of seeing what you have toiled all day to accomplish.

So why not this weekend, get out into your yard. Make yourself feel warmer, and your house look better, and your family proud of you with your new flashy Coastal Turf lawn.

Chat soon

Sare