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Looking forr gr grass Lo oking fo ass in all the FROM THE EDITOR w W V A L E R E C o G N WRONG PLACES PLACES movedabout aboutthree threeyears yearsago agointo intoaahouse house eemoved that was 3 0 years old. As anyone who has that was 30 years old. As anyone who has ever moved moved into into an an older older house house knows, knows, ever there's plenty to do. We have painted, rethere's plenty to do. We have painted, refloored, knocked knocked out out walls, walls, painted painted some some floored, more, added on, built a patio, changed some more, added on, built a patio, changed some carpet, and done some recarpet, and done some remodeling in the kitchen. modeling in the kitchen. This isis to to name name aa few few of of This the things we've already the things we've already hadtotodo doand andonly onlyaaporporhad tion of what we still have tion of what we still have lefttotodo. do. left Butwe wereached reached aapoint point But in the inside of the house in the inside of the house when itit was was time time for for aa when critical look at the yard. critical look at the yard. Wewent wentstraight straightto tosursurWe render and decided to render and decided to plant all new grass. We plant all new grass. We asked ourselves: ourselves: what what asked could be so hard about could be so hard about ordering some grass in ordering some grass in those welcomemat-sized mat-sized those welcome pieces, plopping them in pieces, plopping them in the yard, and watching those succulent the yard, and watching those succulent green blades adorn the now-barren landgreen blades adorn the now-barren landscape. scape. Thegrass grasswas wasdelivered. delivered.We Wespent spentthe theenenThe tire day placing the pieces in the yard. Voila! tire day placing the pieces in the yard. Voila! wouldn't be long now until our yard ItIt wouldn't be long now until our yard looked like our our neighbors' neighbors' lawns, lawns, the the one one looked like who has a professional taking care of everywho has a professional taking care of everything and andthe the other otherone onewho whowins winsthe the "gar"garthing den of the month" award quite often. den of the month" award quite often. Myhusband husband and and IItook tookturns turns faithfully faithfully My turning on the sprinkler every morning and turning on the sprinkler every morning and every evening unless it rained. We kept up every evening unless it rained. We kept up the vigil vigiluntil untilone oneofofus usfinally finallymustered musteredthe the the "Is any of that grass still courage to ask, courage to ask, "Is any of that grass still alive?"ItItwas waspainfully painfullyobvious obviousthat thatthe thegrass grass alive?" was dying and the only green in the yard was was dying and the only green in the yard was weeds, the same weeds that had been in the weeds, the same weeds that had been in the yard before we put down the new sod. yard before we put down the new sod. PLAYMETER METER PLAY 10 10 Where did we go wrong? What could Where did we go wrong? What could possibly beso socomplicated complicatedabout aboutgrowing growing possibly be grass in your darn yard? With our lawn grass in your darn yard? With our lawn looking worse than it did when it really looking worse than it did when it really lookedterrible, terrible,we wecalled calledininaaprofessional. professional. looked He took one look and confirmed oursuspisuspiHe took one look and confirmed our cions with these dreaded words: "Your grass cions with these dreaded words: "Your grass is dead." Then he started asking us stuff like is dead." Then he started asking us stuff like "what type of fertilizer did you use?" and "what type of fertilizer did you use?" and "howmuch muchand andwhat whatkind kindofoftop topsoil soildid didyou you "how use to prepare the yard?" Fertilizer? Prepare use to prepare the yard?" Fertilizer? Prepare theyard? yard?Top Topsoil? soil? the It was right there and then, in the middle It was right there and then, in the middle hundreds of ofdollars dollarsworth worth of ofdead deadgrass, grass, ofofhundreds that I felt like a location owner who has sudthat I felt like a location owner who has suddenly realized why it's better to call in a prodenly realized why it's better to call in a professional operator than to make expensive fessional operator than to make expensive mistakeswith withgames. games. mistakes How many timeshave havewe weheard heardnewcomnewcomHow many times ers to the industry bragging about buying ers to the industry bragging about buying their own games and keeping 100 percent of their own games and keeping 100 percent of the revenue instead of "giving away" half of the revenue instead of "giving away" half of guess we've heard that statement about it.it.IIguess we've heard that statement about as many times as professional landscapers as many times as professional landscapers have heard people like me say: "What's to have heard people like me say: "What's to know about planting grass?" know about planting grass?" always seems so easy when you don't ItItalways seems so easy when you don't really know everything there is to know. I'm really know everything there is to know. I'm sure many of you figure it's no big deal to put sure many of you figure it's no big deal to put together a magazine every month, writing together a magazine every month, writing lots of articles, and trying to line up interlots of articles, and trying to line up interviews. I've I'veseen seenpeople peoplegung-ho gung-hoabout aboutwritwritviews. ing articles for us but soon confess that they ing articles for us but soon confess that they didn'tknow knowititwould wouldbe beso sohard hardtotopen pensomesomedidn't thing every month. Seems a lot easier when thing every month. Seems a lot easier when you're not really doing it. you're not really doing it. youthought thoughtititwould wouldbe bemore morerewardrewardIfIfyou ing to buy your own games and are having ing to buy your own games and are having second thoughts, call in a professional. second thoughts, call in a professional. Maybeyou'll you'lllose loseaafew fewbucks, bucks,but butbelieve believe Maybe me, it's better to cut your losses now inme, it's better to cut your losses now instead of continuing to throw good money stead of continuing to throw good money after bad. You don't want your business to after bad. You don't want your business to be as dead as my grass . .A. be as dead as my grass. OCTOBER1996 1996 OCTOBER