The Lawn Bible: How to Keep It Green, Groomed, and Growing Every Season of the Year

by David R. Mellor

Overview

Now you can have green grass right in your own backyard, thanks to David Mellor, master groundskeeper of Boston's Fenway Park.

Everyone wants a green lawn, but how do you actually get one? Bags of fertilizer? Weed killer Sod? What about mowing? Everyone knows how to, but do you really know when to? Fenway Park's master groundskeeper David Mellor does. He's been caring for some of the nicest lawns around for years. In The Lawn Bible, Mellor offers you everything you need to know about lawn care for your part of the country, including planting, mowing, feeding, and troubleshooting, as well as tips, illustrations, and anecdotes.

Whether your yard is full shade, full sun, or something in between, David Mellor will help you transform it into the greenest grass of your dreams.

The Gospel of Grass, according to David:

• How to think like a lawn
• How to make a lawn child-friendly and a child lawn-friendly
• What combination of good soil, good seed, and good sun adds up to a great lawn
• The mechanics and artistry of mowing
• How to win the war on weeds, pests, and disease

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786888429
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	04/16/2003
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	207,183
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

Editorial Reviews

Mellor, the director of grounds at Fenway Park and a sports turf field consultant, knows his lawns. A self-professed "lawnatic," Muller holds that beautiful green grass is the stuff of memory (remember "that first $5 you earned cutting someone else's lawn"?), the secret to prime curb appeal and even a key to getting in touch with our "agrarian roots." In his comprehensive illustrated guide, he describes the different types of grasses (creeping bentgrass is good for putting greens, while Kentucky bluegrass is a suburban lawn classic), shows homeowners how to determine their soil type (try the "Squish Test"), offers tips for maintenance (mow high during droughts) and even includes directions and diagrams for different mowing patterns ("Your lawn is your canvas"). His section on lawn pests features drawings of the insects that plague lawn owners and lists ways to get rid of them, from the "beneficial nematodes" that prey on pest larvae to insecticidal soaps to chemical pesticides. For those who take their lawns very, very seriously, there's a gold mine of information in here, all clearly organized and thoughtfully presented. (Apr.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

A master groundskeeper at Boston's Fenway Park, Mellor suggests that his book is for lawn addicts, but even average homeowners will enjoy and benefit from it. He starts with the basics-the anatomy of a blade of grass, different types of grass, and the merits of soil preparation. Then he presents detailed techniques that the homeowner can use to create or rejuvenate a lawn and moves on to discuss maintenance in depth. While Nick Christians's Scotts Lawns and John Fech's Taunton's Lawn Guide offer similar advice, Mellor's guide distinguishes itself with the inclusion of tips and anecdotes from professionals-academics who study turf, groundskeepers from major league ballparks, and other pros like the executive grounds superintendent at the White House. While these lawn addicts are all quite serious about their work, they know how to relate tips in a lighthearted, memorable way. Die-hard lawn fans will particularly enjoy the chapter "Getting Fancy," a discussion of mowing patterns with nice photos from ballparks. This book is a winner; highly recommended for most gardening collections.-Bonnie Poquette, Shorewood P.L., WI Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal