Lawn Repair Advice Continued

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Sod rolls at a garden center














Example of What NOT to Buy














OK, we're back with some pics.

The rolls of sod that you see are an example of what happens
after just a few hours in the sun. The soil that surrounds the sod is
dried and the grass is a pale, green or yellow. If you plant this
sod your chances of success are pretty slim and it just isn't
worth the effort.

Sod is grown in local downstate sod farms, cut the previous day,
weather permitting and delivered in the early morning hours
to the nursery or garden center. If you plan on a lawn repair using sod,
your best chance at success is to get to the garden center as
early as possible, have some gloves and a plastic liner for your vehicle.

Next: What to Look For When Buying Sod
Previous Post: The Problem

Gardening @Home

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Lawn Repair and Preparation Tips

Damaged Area















Preparing the Soil for New Grass: From Bayer Advanced
Whether you use sod or seed, it is important to prepare
your planting area in advance. Following are some simple
pre-planting steps that will help you create a beautiful lawn.

1.Remove weeds from the planting area
2.Till the area to break up dead grass and compacted soil
3.Work in any needed lime or organic matter as you till
4.Use a steel rake to remove any dead grass or stones from the planting area
5.Smooth the planting area so that it is even
6.When installing the lawn, use a roller to settle the loosened soil
7.After the soil is prepared, plant the seed or sod More.....

Some Practical Advice
We need to repair that lawn damage today so we're
off to the nursery. Will be back later with step by step advice.
gf
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Design @Home

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A Cool Website
Apartment Therapy

2 Featured Chicago Stores
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Green @Home

Edens Lost & Found

Edens Lost & Found is all about getting involved at home, at work, at school, and in neighborhoods. Getting involved may be as simple as planting flowers in public places or working with developers to incorporate state-of-the-art stormwater treatment.

Getting involved means first getting educated about issues that concern you, then lending your energy to organizations and coalitions that advocate for sustainable solutions. Perhaps you will be needed to get the ball rolling and start a working group.

The PBS Series

Action Guide
List of Chicago Organizations

Learn More...
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Green Tips for Interior Designers

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A Little Green
Treeehugger - Che-Wei Wang, Brooklyn
Bettencourt Green Building Supplies put together A Little Green Show at SLEEP for an eco-friendly ICFF offshoot. The designs were clean and simple featuring some great usage of Plyboo and Scrapile. More.....

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Money Matters @Home

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Housing futures launch Monday,
Contracts may appeal to builders, developers
Medill News Service
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange will launch new futures and options contracts Monday pegged to housing-price indices in 10 metropolitan markets.
Also, later this spring the Chicago Board Options Exchange’s all-electronic futures subsidiary will offer a competing product based upon median home prices tracked by the National Association of Realtors.
Also, later this spring the Chicago Board Options Exchange’s all-electronic futures subsidiary will offer a competing product based upon median home prices tracked by the National Association of Realtors.
The futures contract offers investors a hedge against declining home prices. The purchaser of a contract wins if prices rise, but if they fall, the seller of the contract wins. More....

CME to launch housing futures product
Medill
"Risk is increasing in the housing market, and it is becoming more speculative, creating more need for hedging markets," he added.
The futures contract, which is pegged to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, offers investors a hedge against declining home prices. The purchaser of a contract wins if housing prices rise, but if they fall, the seller of the contract is the winner.
The indices track home prices by looking at "repeat sales" or same-home sales over time. Case and Shiller developed this measurement as an alternative to median home prices,
which could be skewed by a changing mix of properties. A new luxury condo would skew prices up, for example. More....
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Recycling @Home

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A Safe Place For Old Electronics, Household Items
(CBS)
It's time for a little spring cleaning.If you've got some old paint cans, fluorescent light bulbs or an old computer you're dying to get rid of, we've got good news for you.Today is Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Drop-off Day, and people are arriving in droves, CBS 2's Holly Gregory reports.
Until 3 p.m., you can come to Goose Island, at 1150 N. North Branch St., and safely dispose of your old electronics and any hazardous household items you need to get rid of. Officials say they expect up to 1,500 people to take advantage of today's event. More....
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Garden in a City

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If You Go: Garden in a City
Associated Press
WHAT: "Garden in a City," a garden and landscape design show focusing on urban horticulture and community greening. It opens May 13 and runs through May 21.
WHERE: Butler Field in Chicago's Grant Park. The box office is located on the southeast corner of Monroe Street and Columbus Drive.
HOURS: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ADMISSION: Tickets are $10 for adults on weekdays, $12 on weekends. Tickets for children ages 12 to 17 and seniors are $7; children ages 11 and under are free.
MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.gardeninacity.org
or 312-742-4817
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Home

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Condo board fights may follow pattern
May 6, 2006 By Leslie Mann
When you buy a condo or townhouse, you usually become a member of a homeowners' association. Run efficiently, an association is an asset to the buyers and makes things operate smoothly. Run amok, it becomes a liability. Attorney Jordan Shifrin helps...