When I chat to people on the phone, I usually find out lots of wonderful stories as to why they are looking for a certain type of grass and also why they are even putting a new lawn in. Many people have just built, and its always great to share in their excitement about moving in and then finally covering up that horrid dirt pile. Many others are patching up areas where they have had a change of life circumstances (just had kids old enough to go outside, kids are too old for the trampoline now, a new addition to the family of the 4 legged kind)  and need to create a new lawn space.

But I want to share with you a wonderful story from a couple who re did their lawn with Gorgeous Qld Blue Couch so that their son could get married on their lawn. Wow I thought. They said that they had heard that the Qld Blue photographed better than the lawn that they had now, and that it would stand up better to the 100 or so people who were coming to the wedding. Fortunately they did install the new Qld Blue a month before the wedding, and they sent through some photos recently and it looked FANTASTIC. I want to say thank you for involving us in their wedding plans. Its not often your grass is used as a runway for someones most special day!

As you can see from the photos below I think the grass really did hold up to its side of the bargain! With its dark rich colour it was perfectly set against the white of the tables and the tent and the terracotta of the stage area. The lovely couple as well as their children and children in law helped them to install the grass and it has come up a treat.

And I think that this job will have to be the high lite of my Grass year!

So I guess the moral or message of my story is that being prepared is great, and that now is the time for putting down that super special grass for your special occasions – like Christmas. The soft underfoot, the ease of maintenance and the dark blue green colour in photos will make this year even more special!

Chat Soon

Sare

I was just sitting here looking at my weather app, and it looks like its going to be another wet and warm weekend. Not sure about your neck of the woods, but ours also has windy conditions predicted. The rain, I can handle, the warm I love, but the wind just annoys me. Does it get to you as well?

I’m not really sure why it really annoys me, but it does tend to make me cranky.Maybe on a grass way, it does tend to dry everything out a lot faster. I mean the warm windy weather is great for clothes drying, and maybe sailing ( I don’t know. I really get sea sick thinking about sitting on wavy conditions. ) but for newly installed turf, it means drying out the leaves. So a great idea is to water smaller little amounts more often. So like 5 to 10 mins in a spot then move on come back to the area sooner rather than later. This means the leaves can soak up the water and concentrate on establishing itself at your place rather then concentrating on how thirsty it is.

This is some awesome Palmetto that one of our crew installed this week. So by following a less is more more often approach to your lawn’s water needs, you will definetly make your side of the fence greener with Coastal Turf.

Chat Soon

Sare

While walking through the farm today I couldn’t help but stop and take a picture of the farm. The Qld Blue Couch paddock is a gorgeous deep green colour after the rain. It really makes me feel calm and tranquil. Which is great after a really full on morning of delivering chatting with people. Sometimes it is really nice to sit back and soak in the beauty around you. Not that I have lots of time for that, that’s why even walking past this paddock makes me feel better.

And I guess not many of us have time to sit back and smell the roses. That’s why when we do need a little bit of tranquility or calming, it is great to be able to cast our eye out over the Qld Blue Couch. Imagine having this lush deep green at your place all year. So whenever you feel a little frazzeled or frayed at the edges you can look outside take that deep breath, breathing in the smell of gorgeous green lawn, and then return to the craziness of our every day lives once more on a more calmer note.

 

Ahh the magic of A green lawn. Chat soon

Sare

Well, haven’t these storms just been an amazing phenomenon. Wonderful to watch, scarey to kids, and way way to wet for my liking. I am now know as the mud queen by my children. Cutting the Blue Couch in the wet is an experience not to be missed. Mud is great for the skin I have heard.

I have been chatting to the “Weather Fairy” and said that we would appreciate a break in the weather. A little sunshine for a while would be wonderful. She smiled and then stuck her tongue out at me. I don’t think she heard my plee. So more rain is coming.

For all of you who have already put down your lawn, the rain will be doing wonders for for you. For those preparing to get a new lawn., hold off until the day of grass delivery and watch the skys! Mud is not anyones friend. No one really wants to get the soil all ready then have it wash away in the rain. And we just can’t harvest you any turf when its too wet. It falls apart and I will not sell you turf that is MUD. Coastal Turf prides itself on providing a good quality lawn for you to get the best looking grass at your place. Making the Grass on your side of the Fence Greener!

 

So please give us as much notice as you can for when you want your new lawn delivered, and I will try my best to get it to you. I will have a stern word with the weather fairy but not sure how far I will get.

 

Chat Soon

Sare

This week I was up at the old DAFF Qld Redlands facility, and found a perfect example of getting the Right Grass for The Right Place. (Don’t know how much they paid so don’t know if it was the right price but knowing the Qld Government…) But I think this photo totally illustrates that if you don’t put the right grass in the right place, no matter who you are and how great your degree’s are at managing horticulture, the wrong grass wont grow as well as the RIGHT grass.

So as you can see, the darker grass in the background enjoys the shade and is thriving, where as the grass in the foreground is not loving the space as much.

So make sure sure your side of the fence is green, fluffy and the envy of the other side of the fence, and get your lawn from Coastal Turf and we can make sure you get the Right Grass for your place. By having a bit of a description of the area, light levels, if your are putting in any new soil and what colour the soil you have there now is, we can help match you to your right grass.

Greener on your side of the fence.

Chat Soon

Sare

Over the years you have probably all heard me chat on and on about little perfect patches of green. Really I think that is what we are all trying to achieve with our yards. A Great place to sit, relax, play and enjoy the out doors. And for those of us with kids, grass is a great place for kids to be. Running, playing, wrestling, and sometimes, being away from grownups.

Schools to often these days are going to the concrete jungle. So I was so excited to help Bogangar Public School take out some of their concrete and put down a Palmetto Patch for the kindergarten kids to sit down and have their breaks as well as an awesome place to do some outdoor learning. I know my boys learn much better outside than they do in a class room.

When I asked the kids what they liked best about it, the kindy boy and girls said it was because it was called the Kindy Green, so it was just for them. The year 2 girls said they liked it because it was so soft to sit on at lunch. And the big Boy, said it was great!

So I think if the Bogangar Public School’s perfect little patch of Palmetto can handle the rough and tumble and wear and tear of nearly 300 kids, it should do for a lawn at your place.

Make the Grass greener on your side of the fence with Coastal Turf!

Chat soon

Sare

 

 

 

 

After a rather tiring day of chasing the tractor as we harvested all different types of grass, Keith the Turf Dog decided to take a, what he believed, well deserved break.

I however was breaking down pallets of turf into smaller lots, in preparation for customers to come out and pick them out. I enjoy when customers come out to the farm and check out the operation, pick up a bit of turf, and have a bit of a chat with me.

I only ever get to chat to people on the phone, hardy ever get to go out on deliveries, especially big ones, so when people come out to the farm, I love being able to chat face to face with them. I do recommend it.

Window Shopping For Grass

A lovely gentleman came out yesterday and called it window shopping for grass. No windows but lots of chance to touch, smell, and experience the grass. It really can help wen making the all important decision  as to what the BEST grass for YOU is.

Anyway, back to my story, as i was braking down a pallet between two, I picked up a slab of grass, turn 90 degrees, placed the slab on the other pallet and turned back to find Keith firmly placed on the Palmetto slabs having a rest.

Hard To Move A 45kg Dog!

It is very hard to move a 45kg dog off a slab of grass, especially when its his favorite.

I have noticed that Keith gets very excited when we are on the Palmetto buffalo. He loves to roll all over it and takes every chance to sit on it he can. So if you need a close to the ground recommendation, Keith’s is the Palmetto Buffalo!

Chat soon

Sare

I have had a couple of calls lately from people wondering why their neighbours lawn is a lot greener than theirs. And there can be many reasons for this. And the main one is grass choice. Choosing the right grass for the right area is crucial!

 

So many times people call and want the “best” grass we have. And I always answer there is only ever the best grass for you, not the BEST grass that Coastal Turf has. All our grasses are of top quality, and it really depends on the conditions that your new lawn needs to be able to grow happily in that makes it the BEST grass for you, and makes your Lawn greener than the other side of the fence.

By describing your area to me I can help you decide upon the right type of Grass; for example the choices between Couches, Zoysia, Buffalos, and other grasses available. And then when we can decide upon which one of the varieties is best for you, like if you chose a Couch, do you prefer Green couch to Blue Couch? And other questions like sunlight, soil type, wear and tear, and how often you want ot be outside caring for your lawn and how often you want to be enjoying your lawn.

 

It sounds like a lot of chatting but I believe the only way to make an informed decision on both of our parts is with a little conversation, and information gathering. That way we are both happy, I am happy you have a Grass is Greener on your side of the Fence Coastal Turf Lawn and I am sure you will be too!

Chat soon

Sare

Chatting about your wants and needs in a lawn, like letting us know who will be using the grassed area (kids dogs and or husbands) means we can make an informed decision together, creating your side of the fence the greener of the Street.

 

Don’t let the other side of the Fence be greener, get a Coastal Turf Lawn.

 

My husband feels that he know has the writers knack, so he threw this together for me. Tony the Turfman performs lawn installations and cares for lawns after they are installed so he knows what he is talking about, but is his style as good as mine? Let’s see…
Green is good

How many times over the last 30 years have we heard the term “GO GREEN”? Now mostly it is in reference to us all being more environmentally friendly. Using our GREEN bags, converting to GREEN energy, and of course the “GREENIES”.

I think that the most important and obvious green is the one right under our feet, our lawns!

And it never hurts to have a financial benefit as well as health benefits. Qld has recently completed some surveys that prove people are willing to pay up to 15% extra for a home that has a green, tidy lawn out the front. In most cases that is $40,000 benefit. Nice for a bit of grass that you mow once in a while.

But how do we get and maintain that green lush grass in our homes?

All locals know that the sand we have here in Caba is not the most ideal for wonderful gardens and thriving, lush grass. We do however have a very high rainfall and access to quality local soil. Knowing this, I have some great tips as to how to improve on what we have.

Now some of us are lawn fanatics, those that are out everyday weeding their lawns, hand cutting the edges, always having the best looking lawns around. And good for them. People with the time and energy for such things should hold their head high. And for the rest of us with busy lives, family and work commitments, what are are options?

Like my car, once every year I do a big service on my yard, A grease and soil change if you will. This, combined with some seasonal feeds and a little love and care keeps my turf running smoothly, looking good, and functioning the way I want it to. Lets start with coming out of winter into spring.

About now the days get longer, and weather gets warmer and we tend to venture outside again. Ahh the joys if spring. We take that big breath of fresh air, filling us with excitement!and then we cast our gaze across our lawn. Winter has taken its toll, especially the late cold followed by extreme heat.

Rain appears unlikely at the moment ( although I have my fingers and toes crossed for it to come) but, when you see it coming, throw out some organic fertiliser (blood and bone, dynamic lifter or rooster booster) across the top of your lawn and let the rain wash it in,( this will wash the fertiliser in and get rid of the smell as well). But as there is no real rain at moment, put out the fertiliser onto your lawn in the morning and water well in. Why in the morning? well a couple of reasons – firstly the grass is at its most receptive to accept water and food at this time. Secondly the smell is terrible, and most people are off to work ( no cranky neighbours). And if you have kids, give them a hose in the afternoon to finish it off. This will cool the grass down, the kids down, probably the dog, and maybe even the washing.

Like all living things grass needs plenty of water. Don’t wait until your lawn is brown and crunchy, then it’s too late. Watering should be done as you see the grass start to shrivel. But water is too expensive! I hear you say. It doesn’t need to be expensive. Using the Australian sprinkler is a time honoured tradition but use it sparingly(10 mins an area).
A great everyday tip-
washing machine water is great for your lawn, as is other grey water in your home. Get a hose and run it out!

And then for the major service for the year.if you have very poor, impoverished soil, top dressing is great. Again spring is a good time, but whenever you have the time and energy is great too. Top dressing is getting some good nutrient rich soil, (grab a fistfull of it and squeeze, if it sticks together it is good, again it should smell BAD) and spread it evenly across your lawn so that the leaves are popping through. Just before rain is a great time to do this as well, but water if you need to. The nutrients are driven into the root base giving the grass a great big hearty feed. Top dressing also gives you the chance to fill in any of those little holes or divets in your lawn and level your yard up.

Green is good. Green is healthy. Green is financially worth while. Green is Grass and grass is good.

Your lawn has the potential to be so much more than that thing you mow , it can be your entertainment area, your relaxation spot, the backyard stadium where games of vital importance are played and a safe haven for your family. Make it green, make it lush, sit back and watch the grass grow – relax.

Well its been a real community time at Coastal Turf this month. We have gone to Pottsville Beach Public School to supply and help install over 700sqm of gorgeous green grass, Bogangar Public School to spread the green, and Casuarina Hockey Club to Green their hill with Wintergreen Couch. I love working with community organizations. People are always excited about getting new grass, but when its an community organization, you get lots of really excited people who are keen to work. I suppose its because they have been working hard and long to get to the point of grassing an area, which is usually the final step, and People can finally see all their hard work put to use.  I have done my fair share of BBQ’s for schools and sporting clubs, and I’m sure that I will be doing more over the years, so I understand that when you fund raise and fund raise, its great to finally see why you stood at that BBQ for hours.

 

At Pottsville School it was great to see Mums, Dads, Teachers, kids, and community volunteers come into the grounds and install some grass so that the kids have now a lovely soft green patch to enjoy their summer on.

 

At the Hockey Club, Tony said that the look on the Hockey Club members face was a smile as wide as their face. And his smile was just as large when he talked about it. It is definitely rewarding when you install any lawn and see the smiling faces, but in large numbers it can bring a tear to your eye.

Chat soon

Sare

PS hope your school holidays are going well. 🙂