meeting and dues

Don't forget we have a Home Owner Association meeting 6 December at 19:30 and you should receive another letter about 2011 dues (payable through January) for $630.

bike hoists

Are you running out of space in your garage? These hoists are great for hanging bicycles from the ceiling to free up some floor and/or wall space.

no more raking

Philip Dwyer says, "No" to raking. See his fall tip for dealing with leaves on your yard.

it's fall - so what

This is the time to divide and transplant hostas, daylilies and other perennials.

Plant winter-hardy bulbs before the ground freezes in late November. This is also the time to fertilize bulbs.

After the first hard frost, cut back perennials and promptly remove leaves, weeds and other landscape debris from planting areas to avoid giving plant disease a place to start.

Lightly rake over mulch in landscape beds to allow water to better penetrate, and top dress your perennial beds with mulched leaves.

It's important that trees and shrubs get adequate moisture in fall to get a good start next spring. Monitor soil moisture levels through December, and keep watering trees and shrubs as needed.

lawn vacation tips

If You'll Be Gone for 1 Week or Less...

When you're going away for a week in the summer, your lawn won't even miss you. Lawns grow more slowly in the heat of summer, so simple preparations will do just fine. Just mow your lawn at the regular height the day before you go. If you water your lawn, be sure to water it deeply the day before you leave.



If You'll Be Away for 2 Weeks or More ...

Before you go, set your mower down a notch and mow it the day before you leave. When you get back, raise your mower 2 notches before you cut your lawn. Try not to take off more than on third of the grass height at a time. Also, water your lawn deeply the day before you leave if watering is not restricted. Your lawn may go dormant in hot, dry weather while you're away. Not to worry. Going dormant is a healthy coping mechanism for grass. You can water it deeply when you get back. If you'll be gone for more than 2 weeks, you may want to hire the neighborhood kid or a mowing service to cut your grass while you're away.

grub time

It's that time of year again. Get that Scott's Turf Builder with SummerGuard out and then a week later some GrubEx.

pond news

We finally have the fountain and lights working.

We have no fishing signs posted because we'd like not to have a lot of people outside of the neighborhood coming in. On the other hand, our pond can be a real nice family place. Please use it safely and respect our property.

Do not litter and do not throw your fishing lines across the fountain power line (this runs between the fountain and the gazebo). Sometimes when repairs are done we are finding hooks in the wiring. One time there was a fishing rod with line tangled around the fountain itself. Please stay off to the sides and if you are dragging, do so on the east side of the pond.

Exterior Painting Should Be Done Every 5-10 Years

From WCPO some information you may want to know before you paint the exterior of your home.
Paint the exterior of your house

what about clippings?

From our friends at Scotts.

It's a question we all face when mowing: Should I bag my clippings or leave them on the lawn? In most cases, the answer is easy: Leave the clippings on the lawn! Leaving the clippings will save you time and energy, and it will return valuable nutrients to the lawn.

Like Free Fertilizer
The most important thing you can do for your lawn is to feed it regularly, and grass clippings contain the same beneficial nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrients as fertilizer. In fact, clippings can provide as much as one-third of the annual feeding requirement for your lawn.

Less Work for You
In addition to recycling nutrients back into the soil, leaving the clippings will cut down your mowing time and relieve you of the chores of emptying the grasscatcher and hauling bags of clippings out to the curb. It may also be keeping your clippings out of the landfill, depending on how your town handles yard waste.

Some Simple Guidelines
There are a few things you can do to help keep your grass strong and looking good when you leave the clippings. Keep your mower blade sharp and mow regularly at the recommended cutting height for your type of grass. Avoid mowing when the grass is wet. If the grass gets so long that mowing at your normal cutting height will remove more than one-third the length of the grass blades, raise the height on your mower. Mow once at the raised cutting height, then again in a different direction at the normal height. Avoid surge growth by using a slow-release fertilizer such as Scotts® Turf Builder®.

Not a Thatch Problem
Contrary to a popular lawn myth, leaving clippings on the lawn does not cause thatch, which is a layer of partially decomposed grass-plant parts between the soil and live grass. Grass clippings are mostly water, so as long as you mow regularly at the right height, they will break down and disappear rapidly.

The Exception: when Bagging is Okay
There are some circumstances when collecting your grass clippings is warranted. If you see signs of lawn disease, pick up the clippings to avoid spreading the fungus. Grass clippings can also be collected for use in a compost pile or as mulch, unless you recently applied a weed control product to the lawn. Some folks bag their grass clippings for aesthetic reasons or to keep the clippings from being tracked into the house. In most cases, following mowing guidelines will avoid clumps that detract from a lawn's appearance and will keep the clippings small enough to filter down into the lawn.

turf builder time

It's time to for your second application. If you have broad leaf weeds, Scotts® Turf Builder® With PLUS 2® Weed Control is our recommendation.

If you forgot the overall plan, see here for the John Conyer Yard Care Program©.

Dandellions

Kill Visible Dandelions
The best way to attack dandelions is to kill the whole plant, taproot and all, and then keep new weeds from establishing themselves in your lawn. To take care of your dandelions, apply a weed-and-feed product, such as Scotts® Turf Builder® With Plus 2® Weed Control in the spring. If that doesn't get them, follow up in 2-4 weeks with an application of Ortho® Weed-B-Gon MAX® Weed Killer for Lawns. Just be sure to follow the instructions on the label.

Don't hand pull them, as they will grow right back unless the tap root (often 2-3 feet deep) is completely removed.

Choke Em Out
A thick lawn is the best method for preventing dandelions and other broadleaf weeds in the lawn. Mow your lawn at a high setting on your mower, and follow a regular feeding program to achieve a lawn that is thick enough to keep weeds like dandelions from

garden exercises

Hope to see you guys out there doing this ...

got weeds?

Choose How Long You Want Your Weeds Gone

Weeds love to grow in areas where there is no competition for them. Driveways, patios, graveled and mulched areas are some of the most common places to find weeds. In order to kill weeds and grasses, there are two types of weed-killing products you can use.

Choose Your Option

The first option is to use a non-selective weed & grass killer that kills the weeds you spray down to the root.

The second option is to use a non-selective weed & grass killer that also contains an ingredient to prevent weeds from growing back. Because this option kills existing weeds AND prevents new ones, you won't have to treat for weeds as often as with typical weed & grass killers.

First Things First

In order to know the correct solution for your weed problem, you should first answer a simple question to avoid running into trouble. "Do I want any plant growth (trees shrubs or flowers) in the area where I have my weed problem?" If the answer is "no", move to solution #1 below. If the answer is "yes", move to solution #2 below.

Solution #1: In Areas Where No Vegetation Is Desired (gravel and dirt paths, rockscapes, patios, and driveways)

For long-term control in areas where no vegetation is desired, treat the area with Ortho® GroundClear® Ready-to-Use orOrtho® GroundClear® Concentrate. One application kills and prevents weeds for up to one year!

For best results, allow GroundClear® to soak into the ground and avoid runoff to nearby desirable plants. Here are some other tips to help ensure success:

• Do not apply GroundClear® over the root systems of desirable trees, shrubs, and plants.
• Do not apply to slopes.
• Apply only to areas where no vegetation growth is wanted for up to 1 year.

The 1.25 gallon Ready-to-Use version includes a convenient sprinkler cap, while the 1 gallon Concentrate version offers a great value for covering larger areas (up to 300 sq ft) and can be applied using a tank sprayer or a watering can.
Watch how to keep weeds from coming back.
Solution #2: In Areas Where Plant Growth Is Desired (near trees, shrubs, and flowers)

To control weeds in planted areas or mulch beds with trees, shrubs, or flowers nearby, treat these areas with Ortho® Season-Long MAX® Ready-to-Use or Concentrate. One application kills and prevents weeds for up to 4 months!

When treating around desirable plants, shield the plants from drift with a sheet of cardboard or plastic. It will not harm desirable plants as long as the desirable plants are not contacted directly by the spray or drift. If desirable plants are accidentally sprayed, rinse off immediately with water. When replanting in areas where Season-Long MAX® has been applied, be sure to follow these tips to help ensure success:

• Wait 4 weeks before planting trees and shrubs. Wait 8 weeks before planting annuals & perennials. • Use garden gloves, dig the planting hole, and set aside the removed soil. Backfill the planted hole with garden soil (such as Miracle-Gro® garden soil) and spread the removed soil in an area where no vegetation is desired.
Related Products

» Ortho® GroundClear® Vegetation Killer Ready-to-Use
» Ortho® Season-Long MAX Ready-to-Use

remke buys bigg's

If you haven't heard and are a fan of Bigg's, the supermarket chain will be closing shop in Cincinnati. Remke Markets will buy some of the stores including the Mason-Montgomery Road location but will likely reduce its size significantly.

Risotto Balls

Now I know it's St. Patty's day, but this is a good Italian recipe from Carol Tabone of Jungle Jim's. I just linked it from our blog because I am lazy and didn't feel like re-typing it. It's a great snack....not low fat, but it's Spring, you can walk it off, right?

Oslercook Blog Risotto Balls

Police Say Man Tried To Lure Deerfield Township Girls With Candy

Police Say Man Tried To Lure Deerfield Township Girls With Candy

Posted using ShareThis
This was reported near Kings Island. Don't assume a gold van is the Ellis family! Keep an eye on our kids, get a plate number and description.

Bus Stop Warning from The Ellis Family

Thursday morning I happened to be sitting with my 4th grader at the bus stop. As the bus pulled up to the stop the kids starting running to see who would be first in line. A young boy was running and lost his footing at the curb. He almost fell and would have landed in the street under the bus as it was moving. If this child was pushed, touched or lost his footing to the point of falling there would have been a terrible accident. PLEASE remind your kids to stay away from the curb until the bus comes to a complete stop. And DON'T RUN.....Thanks, Mike Ellis

Half Price Cincy

Hope this link works but this website gets you half price on local restaurants and services. Sometimes on Tuesday mornings at 9am they have 70-80% off! We used it for Brazenhead coupons. For $25 we got 2 $25 gift certificates! Cafe Bella is also on the list. We also like Cafe Mediterranean at Beechmont Mall. (Read the fine print on some) Like Brazenhead can't be used on St. Patty's Day, etc. We are pleased with this find. Here is the link. William isn't here so just copy and paste. I don't care to learn how to do this....lol.
http://www.cincysavers.com/halfpricecincy/

New Lettering for Subdivision

I just wanted to say the lettering as we enter our subdivision is AWESOME! Great job!