The Year of the Lawn

My lawn today

After last year's record setting summer heat wave and drought, this was a year for lawn recovery. So I went for broke. I finally succumbed to all the years of suggestions that what I really need is an aeration. Oh yeah, I already limed, grubbed and fall fertilized--and dragged hoses around all summer.

So today my lawn service finally came to do a job that I could not do myself. Two big noisy machines dug up plugs, depositing them on the surface. Thousands of little black soil turds now litter my lawn. It looks like all the neighborhood animals gathered this morning for a pooping convention. (requisite poop reference)

(A poop convention is not that novel an idea to me. Years ago Dave Barry (if memory serves) had a column about how a dog's fun is sniffing all the offerings left by his friends to find out what's up in the neighborhood. It's a dog's version of reading the daily newspaper!)

I opted for no re-seeding which would have been even pricier. I will throw a little seed over the worst areas, although it is probably too late in the year for germination.

 I was told that golf courses now aerate multiple times a year and don't have to fertilize as much. That's sounds like a good trade.

After paying this bill I may not be able to go out to eat this month or buy any new fall clothes. So if my lawn looks well-dressed and I do not, well, know that this is a choice I have made.

Will my lawn be the best it can be next year? And then do I have to do this all over again?

How much is a lawn worth anyway? Anyone wanna guess what I paid to aerate about 6,000 square feet?