In an earlier post about hostas I hinted that we were planning to seed some fresh grass around the house. After a few weeks of work it’s finally looking mostly photo-ready, so here’s the story from the beginning.
At first the strip beside the brick path still had a patch of liriope, so we dug it up and leveled the soil to match the stone border opposite it. Once that was cleared the area was ready for seed.
On the other side of the house the space that used to be lined with boxwoods felt cramped and overgrown; we removed the shrubs to open the pathway and prepare that strip for grass as well.
We also had a bare strip with leftover ivy where our old “bush fence” used to be at the front of the property. After removing the ivy that area was ready for seeding, too. Living with a dirt path to nowhere was something we were eager to fix.
Because we were seeding late in the season and didn’t want the seed to scorch in the heat, we skipped our usual routine of applying starter fertilizer then broadcast-seeding. Instead we picked up a combined seed-and-fertilizer mix. It was convenient for a small project and saved an extra step. I spread it by hand rather than using the broadcast spreader to avoid throwing seed beyond the bare strips — imagine the motion of feeding chickens, hand tossing the seed across the soil.
Watering was done with the hose rather than the sprinkler since the areas were small. I soaked the seeded strips once a day, usually in the early morning or evening to avoid sunburning the new seed. Consistent moisture was the priority for about two weeks while the seed germinated.
While waiting for the grass to appear, we also addressed a different eyesore: a clump of random ferns beneath the magnolia tree. We like ferns, just not in that location. They looked messy and crowded, so we dug them up and moved them to our naturalized side yard where they’d be welcome. It was a lot of work — I filled two wheelbarrows with ferns — but the area under the magnolia is now a clean, bare circle of soil. Eventually we’d like to plant a low-growing groundcover there since grass tends to struggle under trees, but for now the tidier look is a big improvement.
Back to the seeded strips: about ten days after sowing we began to see a subtle green tint. That was a little slower than past experiences, which we attribute to seeding later in the season when temperatures were warmer. Over the next couple of weeks the grass continued to fill in and the bare patches receded.
The new grass is still noticeably brighter, almost neon compared to the mature lawn, but as it grows out and the shades blend the contrast will fade. It’s gratifying to finally see a clean carpet of grass where there used to be bushes, ivy, or bare dirt. We’re surprised it took this long to get it done, but the resulting curb appeal makes the effort worthwhile.
Mowing is easier now that there are no bushes to navigate around, and the fresh mower lines show how neat the area looks after a cut. The strip closer to the house is filling in a bit more slowly than the one by the street; the lower area near the curb receives runoff and stays lusher. We’ll probably overseed the thinner strip this fall to encourage a more even look.
Comparing before-and-after views makes the change clear. A photo from a week after we moved in (before the magnolia got trimmed) shows how overgrown and unfinished the front looked. The updated view with the new grass looks tidier and more inviting. The narrow strip we added in place of the row of bushes only adds a few extra minutes to mowing time, but the improvement to curb appeal is well worth it.
Have you tried seeding a tricky strip of lawn lately? Whether you’ve had great results or frustrating setbacks, small outdoor updates over time can lead to noticeable improvements. A series of modest projects is often the best path to a bigger transformation — and it helps to keep an eye on that ceramic pig so it doesn’t try to make a break for it.