Friday, 20 January 2012

Giveaway : $100 Bunnings Voucher ~ The Grass is always greener ...

when you water it , once a week , using a soaker hose !

  "The grass is always greener on the other side, until you jump the fence and see the weeds up close."
- Albert Grashuis 


That used to be our grass when we first moved into our suburban home. So about 5 yrs ago Hubby got a bobcat guy in and totally removed the top layer of the entire backyard - to get rid of the weeds as nothing else was working... or so he told me ! I just wanted rid of the bindii with toddlers !!

Before he laid new turf , he put tonnes of new topsoil and sand, then installed buried irrigation tubing ...just after this water restrictions came in. 

This was May 2011 
Yes it was that green and big ! Though looks larger than it is.

My husband loves his grass and lawn mowing. He used to do it for a living ( He still has the mower brochure of his first ride on he bought we with lived on one acre in 1993. When we moved back to small backyard in 2000 he sold it to my brother - it still goes.) . I am told he used to mow the grass at his primary school at 11yrs.

DH tended our lawns lovingly and refused to palm the job off to the teen because he just didn't cut it right. While we were away in WA - the teen spilt  roundup ...a weed killer in a few patches {or maybe he was using it to weed o_O}

This was Dec 2011
Ignore the weeds at the back - hubby didn't get to them before I took the pic
Our lawn ~ soft leaf Buffalo ST26;  is also a low maintenance lawn.

I know that some of my friends struggle to get their husbands to keep the lawns mowed, let alone manicured or  keeping a check on weeds. They are not alone...
Turf Australia – the industry body that represents all turf growers in Australia, recently conducted consumer research which revealed that 80% of Aussies have a lawn, but only 30% of them know how to care for it properly. In fact, less than 1/3 of the respondents to the survey knew what type of grass they owned in their own garden !
In December, I was offered the opportunity for a turf consultation with a local turf retailer. Some of the biggest turf suppliers in NSW are from Hawkesbury region (flood plains?). Chris from Millers Turf was my expert!
He gave me some of his expert hints and tips to care for your lawn at different times of the year . Most turf retailers can help households choose the right grass variety for their requirements - they can lay it or tell you the best practices for laying it yourself and maintaining it.

How often should you and much should you water established lawn ?
Once a week you need to give a good soak - (see more details here)
Unless you have a run of 40 °days and no rain ; you will need extra watering.

The best time to water is in the early morning -less water is lost due to evaporation.  
The worst time to water is in the evening because the lawns stay wet at night, which encourages disease and fungus development.

What about Fertilisers ?

Chris said he recommended we (and most people) can use Scott's Lawn Builder - available at Bunnings or anywhere :). It is a good all purpose fertiliser. Retailers like Millers can also advise on specific fertilisers matched to your turf or if you have a problem. Done !!  

Application is recommended every 6 weeks or so from October to March (follow pack directions and water it in well).

We have a few different grasses growing back where the Roundup killed off the grass. Our lawn is quite susceptible to weed killers :(.  We can either leave it or cut it out in a larger patch and lay new turf again. Hubby is undecided as we have new tenants moving in.


How often should you mow ?

Once a week minimum , more in growing season and throughout summer to keep it looking green, and reduce dead looking patches - when you do mow.




I had a few questions about laying new turf in a small patch on our farm. Since our new backyard is now 1000 acres - it will be just be big enough for the boys and dogs to wrestle on play on , our BBQ table & chairs, a special seat and under my the hammock.  


Since I can't have this 

1. My hammock

 We will need to select a hardy grass and non allergic too-   ! I won't detail it all here but all the answers can be found on Millers website.

I know now we need to keep the grass 1m radius from native trees and shrubs so I'll be careful planting new ones.

Chris gave me a copy of 


My husband has the book now !

New turf requires a great deal of water in the first couple days and or it will die off, if not properly watered to the dirt below. It also needs good preparation.
Some turf retailers can also advise or provide lawn care programs - how much or how little fertiliser it needs, how to fix brown patches, how to fill in gaps and weeding, etc. 

So on with the giveaway - 

I have one $100 Bunnings Gift Voucher to giveaway with thanks to Impact Communications and Turf Australia.

I hope you have fun planning a garden make-over, so your lawn is always ready for a  BBQ with family and friends !

Tell me in the comments what is your dream backyard or what you would do with the $100 ?


a Rafflecopter giveaway


My husband thinks it is well worth maintaining a patch of green lawn - even on tank water (outside of a drought of course).

Disclaimer: Millers gave me a free consultation as part of Turf Australia campaign. All opinions are my own. I was not obliged to mention them but their website is a wealth of information.

Comments (125)

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Children playing happily on a lush green lawn, a dog wagging it's tail happy to see me, friendly neighbors, fruit trees full of fruit and flowers growing
With $100 I would give our yard some love. We have terrible lawn, really it's just all weed. So I would tidy it up and use left over to finish sons playarea so it's a bit more ' kid proof'
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Sharon Johnson's avatar

Sharon Johnson · 695 weeks ago

$100 creates a focus point to the existing oasis we have been blessed with adding to our highly anticipated fenced front yard welcoming loved ones.
My ideal backyard is a pathway leading lush rainforest, filled with all the wonders of nature; beautiful butterflies, towering trees, fragrant flowers, and a waterfall to shower under!
Our pre-loved lawn mower died a couple of weeks ago, but we don't really have the money to buy a new one. $100 would be a huge help towards getting one...in the mean time, we just have to borrow one off family when they aren't using it.
I wish I could show you our front and backyard Trish! Sam designed all the landscaping and is obsessive about the lawn! He is in healthy competition with my brother in-law across the road. It's gorgeous to look at and I'm very proud of him. He works extremely hard and still makes time to maintain our yard. Would absolutely love to win this voucher for him - he would no doubt put it to good use. Hehe would be excellent if he finally got something from my blogging...
kathy kingcott's avatar

kathy kingcott · 695 weeks ago

my dream backyard would be nice lawn, for the kids to play and a big veggie patch for the kids to pick there own veggies
My dream back yard is one I never have to do maintenance to.. Since that will never happen then I'd settle for one with out palm trees! They are so much work! The voucher would help replace our whipper snipper that regularly gets told its going over the back Frence because it doesn't work
Kylie O'Brien's avatar

Kylie O'Brien · 695 weeks ago

Our new house should be finished in a few months and the yard is going to need all the help it can get. We will be upgrading to 2 acres and have lots of plans for an organic orchard and veggie patch with free range chickens.
But for the kids I just want a nice place for them to run around bare foot and play. At the moment there is nothing but thistles, carpet weed and lots of other nasties.... Maybe the $100 voucher could help me buy some of that "round-up" that your teen spilt on your lawn.... do you think he could manage to spill it on the entire 2 acres for me? Looks like he knows what he is doing in that department...
My dream backyard would have a playground, swimming pool, BBQ area and a shed
Wow that's a beautiful lawn! I have always wanted something like that. Soft and deep green. I'm up in QLD, and until last year's floods, we were in a several year long drought. It's nice to have most of our water restrictions lifted, but we've just moved into a house without a tank!! So I'm not sure how much watering our lawn is going to get.

All I really want is somewhere for them to run and play, but also somewhere that's soft enough to lay on.
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Just like the movie, we bought a zoo. I would love a backyard filled with beautiful animals that can roam free and the kids can touch and learn from.
Back to reality $100 from Bunnings would get me a new lock for my front door, which Really needs to be fixed. It might motivate my hubby to get it finished
I'd love to have a theme park in my backyard ;)
My dream backyard would be 1000 acres of untouched Aussie bushland..... but since it won't ever be that, my second choice of dream backyard would be once with soft, lush lawn, perfumed flowering shrubs, and an extensive herb garden.
My recent post Mousie's 8th Birthday
ohhhhhhh our dream is to HAVE a lawn! The house we are renting at the moment has no grass at all just pavers and concrete, like a courtyard. Like your husband, my partner really enjoys mowing the lawn and when we did have one every time we came home in the car we had to admire the lawn how well it had been mown etc lol.
If we had $100 bunnings voucher I would buy some pots and potting mix so that I can replant my succulents AND extend my vege garden that I am trying to get going. If we can't have a lawn we are doing the best we can to have plants and greenery.
My recent post Fairtrade101 - Guest Post by Little Adelaide Kate
My backyard is done now- 1 year after moving into our newly build home. But for various reasons our frontyard remains completely untouched. It is currently a bare patch of weeds- some reaching upto around 1m high. It is in DESPARATE need of some Bunnings love.
My dream backyard would have to be the cubby house FINALLY FINISHED, a nice space for me to relax outside, just a small space and a herb garden...
My recent post Are YOU a Bad Parent? Why Name Calling is NOT the Way to Handle Delicate Issues.
Jodie Parke's avatar

Jodie Parke · 695 weeks ago

My dream backyard would be a beautifully grassed (no holes dug by the dog) lawn and some well maintained gardens (not by me). Also plenty of room for the kids to have their trampoline, swing set and cubby house.
Michelle Young's avatar

Michelle Young · 695 weeks ago

My dream yard would have a sandpit and playground for the kids, a big patch of lawn for the dog and whole family to run in, a large veggie patch for me and the kids, and a shed for hubbie. Don't forget an outdoor kitchen and pool! This is my dream yard as there is no excuse for anyone to come inside the house and make a mess, lol.
Michelle Young's avatar

Michelle Young · 695 weeks ago

Shared on Facebook.
My dream backyard is not too far from what we already have, but i would just like a Cabin on one side of they yard and a garden shed in the back corner. Could also do with a cover over the BBQ, which is what I would put the voucer towards :-)
My backyard is full of dirt and for years I have been wanting to see a beautiful lawn when I look out from the window. Sadly, the budget does not allow it yet. But with a $100 Bunnings GC, I reckon I'll be able to makew a mini veggie patch to at least have something beautiful & useful in that barren area.
My recent post Life by Dr. Seuss
Big big big, I'd love a couple of acres,with a small rock creek bed, country.
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My dream backyard would have a lot of grass, a lot of flowers, and a rainforest-like area with a small creek, boardwalks and native birds!
Definitely buy some more flowering plants for the garden, preferably native ones. Our garden is sadly lacking anything except grass at the moment!

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