I’m sure at your job you all have slang or pet names for what you do and what you sell.

At Coastal Turf we are no different. Some of them are really silly, and some are little bit clever and some have no real relevance unless you are in the know.

Like Pal. This is our nick name for Palmetto Buffalo. I mean it is a bit obvious. Pal; Just the beginning of the name. Yes, it is a little bit lazy. But its a very Aussie thing to do.

Pal- metto – Your Mate in your lawn.

Palmetto does not have just one nick name. Oh No! As one of our favourites it has several.

Like my kids  call Pal – the Mate grass. They were watching an American TV show and heard someone call someone else a “Pal”. And being farm kids they have heard and been with us when we have been harvesting the Pal. My daughter, who is very straight forward in her thinking, wanted to know why Americans called each other a grass type. I had to explain that a Pal in America is like a Friend, what we would call a Mate. So now the Kids, anytime we have to harvest Palmetto Buffalo, say we are going out to harvest our Old Mate. And as you can guess, this name really stuck. It does get some giggles and smiles from the farm guys, and some strange looks from friends and family when they are visiting.

But I think that the Old Mate grass is a pretty good description. The Palmetto lawn is a really good “Friend” as a lawn.

It isn’t demanding. Your friend will not wan to be pampered and fussed over to stay looking beautiful and green. No fussing with mowing and intense summer watering. Oh no. Being a good friend, your Pal will give you your space. But still always be there when you need it.

Your Pal will love to share a glass of wine, and if you spill it on the lawn, your Pal will clean it all up faster than you can say Opps!

Like a true Pal, your Palmetto lawn will tell others how awesome you are. By saying “Look at my amazing lawn. Look at the green lush grass.” And of course make your neighbours jealous of how awesome you are, and how great a Pal you have.

And like a true friend, your Pal will take the kids and look after them while you get a quick Games of Thrones episode knocked off during the holidays. Pal loves to have kids running around on it. Loves to have kids crawl all over it. Loves to comfort bodies when they fall upon it.

So, get a Good Pal, an Old Mate at your place. Put in a Pal -metto lawn before Christmas and know you are getting a good friend on your lawn.

Chat soon

Sare

This week when I have been answering the phone i have been asked a lot “Do you sell to the public?”

At Coastal Turf we create beautiful lawns straight from our family to yours.

Dad Grows The Turf For Gold Coast & Beyond

My father grows the grass, on our family farm. Where our families live. My kids play on the paddocks. Their friends think they have the biggest back yard in the world. After my kids have proof tested your new lawn, and my Dad  has grown and mown the grass to perfection, we put on our website that this breed of grass is ready to become your new lawn.

While my kids are proof testing the your new lawn, I am chatting to you on the phone about the best choice of lawn for your home. The girls and I in the office talk to you about how much sunlight your lawn will receive, if you have kids and dogs, and if the area will be mainly used for play, or show? This is how our family can match the best lawn variety to fit your family. Then we arrange the best time to get it to your place, we recommend you receive your new lawn the day you want to install it.

Dad and the boys then harvest your new lawn, and load the turf onto our trucks. The truck comes to your place and the boys use our skid steer loader to take the turf from the truck  to your new yard. With there magic skid steer skills, the boys move the turf as close as possible to where the turf is to become your new lawn. We then slide the turf off the pallets and take the pallets home with us. And I can even arrange for my husband to come over to your place and install the lawn for you.

Tony can come over and prepare the area for you. Clean out any old vegetation, put in beautiful new soil, shape the area to suit your conditions, and then lay your brand new beautiful lawn. All while you can either sit back and relax, or go to work with no lawn, and return to beauty.

Our family loves lawns. We love relaxing on lawns, playing on lawns and and growing the best lawns. We know how much of a difference to your life a good lawn can make.

A good lawn makes you smile. Its makes you active, everyone wants to go outside. Ever notice that the grass near the path is always the first to wear out? Its because its a natural instinct to walk on fresh soft lawn.  A good lawn can even make you money. A green well presented lawn can add on at least $70,000 to the value of your home according to LJ Hooker research.

And its our natural instinct at Coastal Turf, to create  beautiful lawns for your home.

So, Yes I guess we do sell to the public.  But what we really do is start something wonderful in our family, and pass it on to yours.

Chat Soon

Sare

This week I was asked by a lovely gentleman to text through some pictures. Now, sounds a little suspicious doesn’t it? But, although the photos were specifically with no clothes, they were not of me. The gentleman was asking for up close pictures of my Buffalo lawn at home.

Although people see lawns from up high when they walk past peoples homes, or quickly drive past, not many people feel comfortable lying down and closely inspecting someones lawn. Especially if you do not know them. I mean it would be a bit weird to be walking past your lounge room window, look out usually and see someone lying on your lawn, inspecting close up the leaf size and texture of our lawn. Although it is a nice compliment that your lawn is gorgeous, it is more than likely to make you  feel, at least, uncomfortable.

So instead I now offer a service of texting up close pictures of the different lawns. Quite often they are from my own home. Our house has all our varieties in different conditions which allows us to run them all through the FamilyTest.

So what is the Family Test?

The Family Test has Four components.

• The turf  it is put into a “normal”  home environment (well to that our Family is “Normal”. More crazy, weird, extreme, silly, funny, happy, loud. Yet not really Normal. But its I got. And I love them all)
• Parents who are busy working, and running around after kids,
• Kids that use the yard for Football, Cricket, running, Bike riding, Trampolining , Cubby Houses, and the list goes on, with little regard to the health of the lawn,
• Dogs, Cats, Bird, Guinea Pig and Rabbit tested (yep. All we don’t have is fish. I had to put my foot down somewhere.) Like the kids, they have little regard for the health and well being of the lawn, other than to sun themselves on, and in the case if the Guinea Pig and Rabbit they self fertilise so they ensure the lawn is good for them to eat.

This means we don’t look after our lawn like a Greenkeepers. We look after it like People who do other things. Like you! Our farm is beautiful. It gets all the love and care and mollycoddling it can handle. So when it goes to become your lawn, it looks stunning. The best in the street. But it also has to be tough enough to realise that when it leaves the farm, it is going to have to survive on its own. Some go to people who will continue the mollycoddling, others like us will have busy lives and treat it like lawn.

So I know that the Palmetto buffalo will take the wear and tear of kids, bikes, cars, trampolines, tents, and surprisingly, a random calf that my son brought home.  Blue couch is perfect under your clothes line to comfort tired feet after a long day, but you still have a lot of house work to do. Green couch is the best to fall on when you are playing backyard Football (this I have person experience with. Turns out my 9 year old is really quite good at tackling.)  Empire Zoysia is great for around an outdoor shower.  And Coastal mix is great around Dog kennels.

I know which one needs more mowing, which ones need more watering, and which ones when you don’t have time to do anything outside you home for a couple of weeks because your working so hard, and then taking the kids to whatever the next adventure for them is – the one that thrives on neglect.

I am more than happy to text you pictures of our Family Tested lawns.

Here is our Palmetto up close and personal. And of course Naked.   

Chat soon

Sare

 

 

I don’t know if its because we are a family business, or maybe its just our personalities, but when we supply a lawn or even better supply and install a lawn, we start a relationship with our customers.

I still have customers who had their lawn installed 4 years ago text me pictures and asks advice on their lawns. This makes it is really important to us that we supply a a beautiful product so when we catch up with our customers at the Grocery store, or a school, or at a party, there is only good things to chat about.

And in supplying a beautiful product for people to create Amazingly beautiful lawns for play areas, and feature spaces at their home, or just a bit to bring the green into their homes be it getting a home ready for sale, or creating a life long area to caress your home, we strive to help you create the best lawn in the street.

Well the Facebook page Australian Lawn Fanatics is having a Lawn Domination Competition. So now we can prove beyond a doubt that a Coastal Turf lawn is the best in the Street! Like one of our lovely customers said today, “It was amazing when we rolled out the green carpet…We get so many compliments on it”

Should you choose to accept this challenge of the Australian Lawn Fanatics, Coastal Turf will have your back. We will give you site specific tips and advice on how to create the best lawn at your place, (and make sure we fit within your budget).  We will recommend the best turf type for your lawn to create a Gorgeous Green! We will give you the right advice on preparation and installation and after care. And if you really want to go all out, we can put you in touch with one of our Professional Installers to do all the hard work for you. So you can just sit back and take all the accolades.

Call us now on 0266763695 or send through an email to me on sarah@coastalturf.com.au

And for all of our existing Coastal Turf Customers, who already have the advantage of having a Coastal Turf Lawn, give me a call for advice on how to perfect your Lawn to Dominate the competition! We can come and drop off a bag of Fert to encourage the Full Green and help you Dominate your street.

Let us know how we can help you!

For more details on the competition this is from their Facebook site.

Munn’s fertiliser #neighbourhooddomination comp.

email a pic of how your lawn dominates your neighbours to australianlawnfanatics@gmail.com and you could win a prize pack for your state.

Lets show them that Turf Lawns are Tough, But Gorgeous! And Coastal Turf Lawns are the best!!!

Chat soon to form our plan

Sare

 

I bet from the heading you are like where is this story going? What type of person runs around “Commando” on their lawn.? And what disasters happened to them….

Well, as you may know, I have a 9 year old son and a 15 year old son. So you can imagine the conversations that come our of the back seat of the car sometimes.

Like yesterday. As we are driving along and I’m singing to the music with my daughter who has wrangled the front seat from her two brothers  somehow (its amazing what a quick tongue and a fast run can do for a girl), the boys in  the back seat think we cannot hear them speaking.

So my youngest asks his older brother what going “Commando” means. My oldest blushes a little and says it when you don’t wear undies under our shorts. Then added, “Don’t do it. I don’t want to see anything. No one does.”

I just keep my awesome singing going and pretended I didn’t hear. I did notice this morning that they both came down looking for undies.

It made me think about “Commando” though. Not that I am thinking of going the no underwear to work thing. Oh No. I was thinking that its the preparation that no one sees that can make a huge difference.

Like wearing underwear to ensure your comfort throughout the day. Or putting on the right underwear to go with your outfit.  In my case, to suck all my flabby mummy- tummy in and create “shape” when I wear a nice dress.

Well, ensuring you have the right soil under your turf is the same.  You use your soil to create shape in your lawn. Putting down a good organic nutrient rich soil will ensure the long term health of your lawn. It will attract microorganisms into the soil to create pathways for the health of your lawn. A good fluffy soil will drain lots of water away, but hold enough close enough to the roots. Then by putting the right turf down in your lawn, your backyard will be greener for longer. Isn’t it great to have the best greenest lawn in the street? When you order your turf through us we provide you with an installation guide as well as an aftercare guide. Give us a call now to start you off.

And all it takes is you putting down your lawns “undies” first to make sure your new turf preforms to its highest standard. Take my boys advice. Don’t go Commando for your lawn.

 

Chat soon

Sare

We have now lived in our house for 5 years. Over this time we have painted and not painted some rooms. Mostly tiled the whole house and carpeted very few rooms. And mostly just “discussed” what we should do with our yard. The Turfman usually just brings home some turf to try out at our place and we work around it. At the moment we have a mish mash of every variety Coastal Turf offers on our yard. I can tell you how each variety works under several conditions because I have all the lawn varieties in all types of different places. Like in the shade. In the sun. High traffic. Low traffic, and may favourite area, around the clothes line.

Like most parents, and in my house, me the mum, seem to do a lot of washing. I once saw a Meme on Facebook saying something along the lines of according to how much washing I do,  there must be several other people living in my house who I haven’t met yet.  I really really must have like 4 extra people in the house. All who wear clothes randomly and only have one leg, so we can only wash one sock at a time.

I am in my work boots most of the day, in two matching socks. Either down the farm, or in the office I have my big heavy safety boots (and big fluffy socks) on the protect my feet. And like all work shoes they are not like walking on clouds all day. So when I get to come home and slide off my boots, put my TWO socks in the laundry, I love to walk on something soft and comforting. Now our house, as I mentioned before, is mostly tiles, so there is no real relief from walking on the carpet.

But my clothes line has beautiful soft Blue couch under it. My exciting go getter mum and wife life is so reflected that I come come, feed people (some are mine, some are just there. But hunger anyway so I feed them), and then go on with house work. Like clothes washing.

Clothes lines are meant to be in full sun. I married a farmer. And even though we work and live on a lovely large farm, our house block is small. Because really, all that space can be used for growing turf. For other people to enjoy. So my clothes line is located between the shed and the water tanks. And gets maybe 6 hours of sunlight per day if I am lucky. It  does get a good wind going thorough though which does dry clothes quite quickly.  And when I get to hanging out the washing at the end of the day, I love to take my shoes off and walk bare footed over the super soft grass. I have a combination of blue couch right under my line, and Palmetto buffalo just off to the side.

The blue couch is so super soft and comforting on my bare tired feet. As I hang out everyone else’s one sock and my two washed socks, I am happy in my bare feet. It gets only Mum traffic, as the kids and husband don’t like venturing to the clothes line, in the fear that they may be asked to help. So it has stayed lovely and soft for me. I hardly ever water it. Occasionally I will let the washing drip dry, and it does rain; Sometimes. But for 5 years with little to no care from myself it has stayed my true blue lawn. The boys do mow it about every 2 weeks, and thats about as much care as I give it.

Just around from the clothes line is a small area of Palmetto that is spongy and green. This is my secret area that the kids cannot see from the house when they stand and call me because the clothes line blocks their sight. And I know they hardly ever walk past the line to see if I am there. So it is here on my little Palmetto sanctuary that this summer, after I hang out my washing, that  I shall be hiding with my iPad, and if I’m really going to get excited, my book, for a little while. Enjoying the sun, and my lovely lawn patch. Just for me.

Chat soon. Probably best to send emails if its clothes hanging out time and I’ll get back to you from the patch.

Sare

Its at this time of year, when its raining and wet and your yard starts to get really muddy, that you really appreciate the humble lawn. It’s the green carpet that cleans your boots as you walk along. It’s the soft mat that comforts your kids as they fall upon the ground. It is the saver of your carpets when your family walks from outside.

But when you don’t have the clean green outside, you really start to notice other peoples yards. This is when the “Best lawn in the street” competition really comes into play.

When there is brown and sticky mud around your lovely home your walk to the bus stop takes that so much longer with the kids.

Here is a little story…

As you walk the kids down the street to the bus stop under your umbrella, you splash past lawns that are patchy and have huge puddles forming in the yard. All the water from their yard is starting to run all over the paths, making a great time for your toddler to splash your once dry pants. You and your toddler glance over at your neighbours lawn.  All of a sudden you imagine your little ones in their bright yellow gumboots making a huge splash in your neighbours yard creating a mud pool for them as well. You hold your little ones hand just that little bit stronger as you walk by. They struggle as you walk and your school child complains that it really is too wet to go to school. You cant see the day getting any better, cause when you get home you know that you have a day with a  toddler stuck inside. No amount of Paw Patrol is going to make today better.

Down the road, as you near the bus stop you walk past your new neighbours lawns which have Coastal Turf signs. Their lawns are  magical green lawns of pure brilliance. You start to imagine what your home could look like with the beautiful lawn around your place. The first lawn is soft and an emerald colour. Its fluffy and almost calls for you to take off your shoes and walk across it. Even in the rain. No puddles on this lawn. From your memory you think it is a blue couch lawn.

The next house along has a thick leaf lawn. The kids bounding our of this home look like they have a lovely spring to their steps as they bounce across the lawn. Their shoes don’t appear muddy or grass stained when they arrive to the bus stop just ahead of you. You look down at your shoes and see the mud from home. The kids mother runs out after her chatting two and hands them a lunchbox with a kiss, with a little running toddler behind talking quickly about how his boots make a great sound on the grass. She smiles at you in the knowing ways mums smile at each other when their kids are too “busy” to organise a lunchbox into their own bag. “Lovely weather, isn’t it?” she says to you.

“Oh yes. I’m really not looking forward to having my little one inside all day,” you reply, as you cast your eyes back over her thick green lawn, “What a beautiful lawn you have.”

“Thanks. My husband and I installed it a couple of weekends ago. I’m so glad we got in just before the rain. It’s Palmetto Buffalo from Coastal Turf is great. So easy.”

The bus pulls up with little splash, because the beautiful Palmetto lawn has absorbed the run off.

Your child blows you a kiss as they jump on the bus, and your little one starts to play with her new best friend at the bus stop.

“Hi, I’m Mary. Hey, why don’t you come in for a coffee. The kids can play in the back yard in their boots and jackets if you want. It can’t hurt the grass. And I love not having any mud inside anymore.”

You smile with relief at having adult conversation this morning, as well as giving your toddler time outside without fear of muddy feet. You definitely decide to get Coastal Turf’s number while you chat with your new Bus stop Mum friend.

So give me a call and we can arrange a brilliant green lawn at your place.

Chat soon

Sare

Its world Mental Health day today the 10th October.

And really you are thinking why would a Turf farm think about Mental Health. Well, not only do we really appreciate our employees (who are more like family members) but because your lawn has the unique ability to change your mood.

This is one of those subjects I find really interesting and enjoy reading  about. The way that we see something and it instantly makes us feel happier, calmer and more fulfilled. Its called Colour Psychology. Colours are meant to have effects on moods. Thats why fast food restaurants are red. Red makes you feel hungry.

where as Green, makes you feel “better”.

From www.verywell.com

“Color psychology suggests that different colors can evoke psychological reactions. For example, color is often thought to have an impact on moods and emotions. Sometimes these reactions are related to the intensity of a color, while in other cases they are the product of experience and cultural influences…. How does the color green make you feel? For many people, it immediately brings to mind the lush green of grass…Perhaps because green is so heavily associated with nature, it is often described as a refreshing and tranquil color.”

It seems Green Grass can also make you feel safe and happy.

From Pennington.com

3. Natural grassy areas can in still feelings of safety and may deter crime.

University of Illinois research in inner-city neighborhoods found that grassy areas that provide greenery but still preserve openness may deter crime. Residents who lived near open grassy areas perceived these areas as safer than other open, non-grassy areas, and they reported feeling safer. Outdoor graffiti, vandalism, littering, violent behavior and violent crimes were reduced in neighborhoods with open grass areas.

Pennington.com also stated

14. Natural grassy outdoor areas can improve physical and mental well-being.

Lawns and exposure to natural outdoor greenery can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, reduce muscle tension, improve attention and increase feelings of happiness and serenity.4 For children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), play in grassy outdoor areas has resulted in significantly better functioning and fewer symptoms than play that occurred without exposure to such spaces.11 Additional benefits are still being discovered.

So its not just me who the green stuff on our farm makes me feel better. It has the potential to make every feel happy.

Give us a call today and we can help you feel happy with your new lawn, and improve all of our mental health.

Thank you, Chat soon

Sare

I love getting out of the office. I love actually getting out and meeting the wonderful lovely people that I get to talk to on the phone and see what they actually look like rather than what I imagine what they look like. And often these amazing people are so happy and excited when I turn up that they light up my day.

Last Saturday I had one of those mornings where nothing seemed to go right. You know your coffee tastes burnt, the kids where all fighting and my husband had hogged the toilet for way too long. Then the farm called and said they need me to go out delivering as one of the men were sick. So with no food in my tummy, and the bad coffee taste in my mouth I quite grumpy walked out the door down to the farm and got in my little truck without saying a word to anyone. (I probably had that look on my face which said “Don’t talk to me ” anyway.) On the drive up to Tugun I went through the extremes of emotions that hunger people go through. Anger, sadness and then its all really my fault anyway. By the time I got from Caba to Tugun, my first drop, I was a whirlwind and not really sure how I was going to head through my day.

I knew I was going to see Dave, who had ordered several deliveries of Palmetto before. I had this idea in my head of a smiling joyous man, but my mood was not really allowing for many good thoughts to enter in.

Then I met Dave. Dave is magic. So excited and happy with his Palmetto Buffalo. His smile was so large that you can probe see it from space. He moved excitedly when he talked about his lawn and how proud he was of what he had achieved. He was so happy that we had brought him the last little bit he needed to finish off his yard. And I knew I would have a smile for the rest of the day. He was so thrilled with our Palmetto that he had made it a feature of his yard.

“Yeah, Just followed your advice Sares. And it worked out beaut.” Dave told me as we walked around his yard. The Palmetto was so soft, and had a wonderful bounce to it as I walked over it, even in my big clunky boots. The lawn had the aroma of summer, of freshly cut grass.

Dave had built himself a beautiful Sanctuary  from all the hustle and bustle of the Gold Coast. The green carpet of his lawn was a stark contrast to the concrete and sand of the Tugun region.

Enough Chat and babble from me about how beautiful it is, Have a look for yourself!

Just Beautiful!!!!

Dave said he loved to go out every couple of nights, Beer in hand and stand and hand water his yard. He loved to walk bare footed across his lawn and he said he felt relaxed and connected. It made the days work float away from his head space.

I drove away from Dave and his beautiful yard knowing that my day would be great. I headed over and got a coffee that tasted great and a quick bite to eat.

Thank goodness for wonderful people like Dave.

Cheers Dave, enjoy your Beer

Chat soon everyone else about creating a gorgeous yard like this for yourself.

Sare