Seasonal benefits from your lawn (12-12-2005)

With students between semesters and the campus being closed for the holidays this may be the last turf tip of the year, so let me take this opportunity to thank each of you for your interest each week and especially for your questions, inputs and ideas throughout the year. I hope that these tips have been helpful in keeping your lawn beautiful and healthy.

As we move through the holiday season and reflect upon the many blessings of this past year, we can also include those derived from our lawns and gardening activities:

Our lawns were as much as 30 degrees cooler than the paved street or driveway during the hot days of summer.

The tremendous noise abatement, filtering of dust and pollens from the air, prevention of erosion and water filtration, production of oxygen to breathe that our lawns provided and the sheer gratification from their aesthetics and beauty.

Not only did our efforts throughout the growing season keep our lawns healthy, but our physical and mental health benefited as well through exercise and stress relief.

In extending my greetings to you I wish you a very joyous holiday season and successful lawn maintenance 2006.

Published December 12, 2005

Dr. Wayne Wells is an Extension Professor and Turfgrass Specialist. His mailing address is Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mail Stop 9555, Mississippi State, MS 39762. [email protected]