The Foundation Of Mixed-seed: —21 Merchiston Park, Edinburgh EH10 4PW, Scotland.
The following seed exchange does not easily fall into any other category so I list it here.
Major Howell's International Seed Collection stocks hundreds of varieties of seed from all types of botanical collections throughout the world. Membership and lists are $10 per year, including the first six seed choices.
—Fire Thorn, 6 Oxshott Way, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 2RT, England.
Almost surely a mixture of grass seeds is your best bet when making a new lawn. Not any mixture will do. Don't buy cheap ones. Of necessity those are largely composed of the less permanent grasses, kinds least costly for the seedsmen or packager to buy. It has to be that way. Good seeds of desirable varieties are compara¬tively expensive. They cannot be sold to compete with cheaper types. Percentages count, even cheap seed mixtures usually contain some bluegrass and perhaps some bents and fescues. The point is in what pro¬portions are they, compared to ryegrass, timothy and fescue? A total of more than 30 percent of these and other temporary grasses is usually the maximum permissa-ble in satisfactory lawn seed mixtures al¬though the distinguished turf specialist Dr. Howard B. Sprague recommends a "stand¬ard mixture for soils of average to good fertility and sunny exposure" that includes 40 percent temporary grasses. This mixture consists of 45 percent Kentucky bluegrass, 10 percent colonial bent grass, 25 percent redtop, 5 percent white clover and 15 per¬cent perennial ryegrass.
In most parts of the country, everywhere except the subtropical South, Kentucky bluegrass (Merion bluegrass is a variety of it) should be the foundation of mixed-seed lawns in sunny or predominantly sunny locations. It is generally the most satisfac¬tory and permanent of general purpose lawn grass for everywhere except where considerable shade exists. For shaded lawns Chewings fescue and Illahee fescue are the real standbys. Mixtures should contain adequate amounts of these basic grasses to insure good stands. (See Chapter 15). Be¬ware especially of mixtures that are ad¬vertised and offered on the basis of "quick"' results. They usually contain much too high proportions of ryegrass, timothy and other quick growers of a temporary nature.
In many states the law requires that lawn seed mixtures be labeled with the names and percentages of the grasses they contain and also the percentages of germination that may be expected. These are protections for the buyer. Study them carefully when comparing prices.See Also Wood Decking:WOOD DECKING is an alternative to paving and is visually and physically softer than other hard materials. It looks good in rural surroundings or with modern houses, and it is warm to walk on.• Decking can solve problems as an alternative to paving if you are laying a patio over several different levels or a very uneven surface.
• If you cannot afford to deck the entire area, see if a corner of the patio could be decked.
• You need to use hardwoods (or softwoods that have been really thoroughly treated with preservative) and the very best-quality fastenings.
• Decking is quite easy to construct yourself, unless it has to be built high off the ground.
• Experiment with different patterns by arranging the planks in different designs and at different levels.
There is nothing worse than having to splash your way through puddles of water every time it has rained. Good drainage is absolutely essential.
PATIOS TEND to look better laid in symmetrical, formal designs while wooden decking is an ideal alternative for curved, flowing layouts. Decking has a much more relaxed, informal feel to it than paving. It is a material associated with outdoor living and leisure and, being relatively soft, it is a better material than blocks if you have children.
Wood blends in with plants much more than blocks. The texture of blocks contrasts well with that of living material; the one is hard and solid, the other light and full of movement. The two work well together in any garden. There is nothing more attractive than the straight edge of a patio softened by a profusion of trailing plants.
On The Other Hand See Wooden Decking:CRAZY PAVING comprises pieces of broken paving blocks laid to produce a complex, decoratively patterned surface. However, despite the apparently random effect of the paving, the pieces must be laid in a strict formula both for a symmetrical appearance and for strength.
The sides of the paved area are formed by a row of fairly large block pieces which have at least one straight edge, placed outermost. Similar-sized pieces with irregular edges are positioned along the center of the area. Smaller irregular pieces are then used to fill in any spaces remaining between the larger blocks.
PREPARE THE base by digging out the topsoil. If the subsoil is not firm, dig this out too and replace with 3~4in of compacted rubble. Top with about 2in of sand, raked and leveled.
A raised wood deck provides you with space outdoors for dozing, dining or soaking up the sun, and can be constructed using just a few specialist carpentry techniques. Decorate the surface with containers.
DECIDE WHAT you are likely to use the deck or, as this helps you determine its overall ;ize: if you intend to dine outdoors, it must 3e large enough for a Table and chairs with ;pace for people to pass behind when serving i meal. Where the deck will be used as a ;unbathing area, space must be allowed for oungers. Decking combines best with wooden decking fencing and wooden decking cask containers. Consider how the deck will appear when attached to the house wall: if it is fairly narrow—say about 10ft—and projects out from the Wall about 20ft, it will not sit easily. A deck of this width running along the Wall of the house would probably appear to be in better proportion. A squarer deck, on the other hand, is more in keeping with a corner location, set in the angle between two walls that meet at right-angles.
A mix of classic, cutting-edge and revamped furniture gives this room lashings of personality. The new Sofa has an elegant shape and neat wooden decking feet on casters, but to bring it up to date it's teamed with a cool contemporary armchair with sharp lines and a wooden decking and metal frame. An antique chair with wooden decking arms was simply re-covered in cream fabric to help it tie in with its modern neighbour. This mix of old and new extends to the room's other pieces. A contemporary, block coffee Table and a sleek nest of tables rub shoulders with a tall, skinny, dark wooden decking console Table that has old-style colour and good looks.
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