Jimboverse: Appreciate Your Lawn Day

Appreciate Your Lawn Day!
Information:
Earthday this year is April 22nd. Download the flyers from the 2004 and 2003 Appreciate Your Lawn Day.	Welcome! Appreciate Your Lawn Day is the annual day when you appreciate your lawn with your friends and family. Started as a student project at Ursinus College in 2003, and celebrated in conjunction with Earthday, Appreciate Your Lawn Day is the day to enjoy your lawn, garden, trees and shrubs; and this website shows you how. Activities: Take a nature walk and have a picnic Most areas have a good nature trail nearby. Start early, bring planty of water, and wear good shoes. Take a bike if you enjoy riding one. Most trails have designated spots perfect for having a picnic. Listen to music or watch a movie Listen to music all day about the earth and the outdoors. If your planting or gardening on Appreciate Your Lawn Day play this while you work, and find a friend or loved one to work with. At night watch a movie about the earth or the outdoors. I highly recommend "Little Shop of Horrors" for a good laugh to go along with your day of enjoying your garden. Count and identify the trees on your property It's amazing how many, and different, trees and shrubs you have on your property. If it's your property you probably know this already, but if you live in a college dorm or an apartment take the time to find out all of this information. You can find out how long the trees have been there and what type they are by the leaf. Starting your own plants from Seed The most important activity actually starts about a month earlier, when you start growing your own plants and flowers from seedlings. This is a great way to really enjoy the plants and flowers you keep in your garden, and is generally foolproof if you get good quality materials to start with. Here's some tips: Start by finding a location to start your seedlings in. Pick a high traffic room with a window that provides good lighting and is generally warm. You'll need a sturdy table to put your seedbed on that's high enough to reach the window. Ants and other bugs may be attracted by the growing plants so keep a close watch and don't keep plants snug against the window sill. When picking out seeds pay attention to plant height, sowing depth, and germination time. Some seeds even require special attention in order to germinate. Short annuals (plants that only live one year) are best, and don't forget herbs and vegetables. Vine plants or plants with tall stalks might get to big too quickly, so make sure you have enough support for them to grow on if you want to transplant all your plants at the same time. Starting seeds involves a lot of water and dirt, so having good containers is essential. The garden section in most stores should have a starting tray that works very well, but I also recommend using peat moss starting pots in addition to the tray for easy transplanting. If you're improvising, Dixie cups with holes poked in the bottom for drainage are the best option and a box lid makes a good holder - although it might need replacing if it gets too wet too often. Seeds grow best in the right type of soil. Look for a starting soil mix specifically, which has all the nutrients young plants need and is free of contaminants so they won't get sick. Don't use dirt from outside as it usually dosen't have enough nutrients and has contaminants that will make young plants sick. Label each pot or make tags to stick into them, you'll regret it later if you don't. Get a spray bottle to water your seedlings for the first few weeks. This will keep you from having to empty your container, or destroying your box lid if you used one, and also cuts down on the amount of water you have to use which is nice. Water each pot of soil before you sow the seeds to condense the soil because starting mix is usually dry and seeds might float away with the first watering otherwise. Pay attention to how deep each seed is supposed to be sowed, 1/4 to a 1/2 an inch is normal. Some pots may needs to be covered with plastic wrap, creating a greenhouse, for the seeds to germinate correctly, and some seeds may needs to be started in just water! Put a few seeds in every pot. Some seeds might not start, and other seedlings might die very early. The tinier the seed the more you should start in each pot but try not to put in more than five. Every type of plant grows at a different rate, but most should be strong enough to transplant outside in a little over a month. You'll know the time is right if the plant's roots are starting to twist around the bottom of the pot.

Welcome!

Appreciate Your Lawn Day is the annual day when you appreciate your lawn with your friends and family. Started as a student project at Ursinus College in 2003, and celebrated in conjunction with Earthday, Appreciate Your Lawn Day is the day to enjoy your lawn, garden, trees and shrubs; and this website shows you how.

Activities:

Take a nature walk and have a picnic

Most areas have a good nature trail nearby. Start early, bring planty of water, and wear good shoes. Take a bike if you enjoy riding one. Most trails have designated spots perfect for having a picnic.
Listen to music or watch a movie

Listen to music all day about the earth and the outdoors. If your planting or gardening on Appreciate Your Lawn Day play this while you work, and find a friend or loved one to work with. At night watch a movie about the earth or the outdoors. I highly recommend "Little Shop of Horrors" for a good laugh to go along with your day of enjoying your garden.
Count and identify the trees on your property

It's amazing how many, and different, trees and shrubs you have on your property. If it's your property you probably know this already, but if you live in a college dorm or an apartment take the time to find out all of this information. You can find out how long the trees have been there and what type they are by the leaf.
Starting your own plants from Seed

The most important activity actually starts about a month earlier, when you start growing your own plants and flowers from seedlings. This is a great way to really enjoy the plants and flowers you keep in your garden, and is generally foolproof if you get good quality materials to start with.

Here's some tips:
- Start by finding a location to start your seedlings in. Pick a high traffic room with a window that provides good lighting and is generally warm.
- You'll need a sturdy table to put your seedbed on that's high enough to reach the window. Ants and other bugs may be attracted by the growing plants so keep a close watch and don't keep plants snug against the window sill.
- When picking out seeds pay attention to plant height, sowing depth, and germination time. Some seeds even require special attention in order to germinate. Short annuals (plants that only live one year) are best, and don't forget herbs and vegetables. Vine plants or plants with tall stalks might get to big too quickly, so make sure you have enough support for them to grow on if you want to transplant all your plants at the same time.
- Starting seeds involves a lot of water and dirt, so having good containers is essential. The garden section in most stores should have a starting tray that works very well, but I also recommend using peat moss starting pots in addition to the tray for easy transplanting. If you're improvising, Dixie cups with holes poked in the bottom for drainage are the best option and a box lid makes a good holder - although it might need replacing if it gets too wet too often.
- Seeds grow best in the right type of soil. Look for a starting soil mix specifically, which has all the nutrients young plants need and is free of contaminants so they won't get sick. Don't use dirt from outside as it usually dosen't have enough nutrients and has contaminants that will make young plants sick.
- Label each pot or make tags to stick into them, you'll regret it later if you don't.
- Get a spray bottle to water your seedlings for the first few weeks. This will keep you from having to empty your container, or destroying your box lid if you used one, and also cuts down on the amount of water you have to use which is nice.
- Water each pot of soil before you sow the seeds to condense the soil because starting mix is usually dry and seeds might float away with the first watering otherwise.
- Pay attention to how deep each seed is supposed to be sowed, 1/4 to a 1/2 an inch is normal. Some pots may needs to be covered with plastic wrap, creating a greenhouse, for the seeds to germinate correctly, and some seeds may needs to be started in just water!
- Put a few seeds in every pot. Some seeds might not start, and other seedlings might die very early. The tinier the seed the more you should start in each pot but try not to put in more than five.
- Every type of plant grows at a different rate, but most should be strong enough to transplant outside in a little over a month. You'll know the time is right if the plant's roots are starting to twist around the bottom of the pot.