Garden Highlights
- Varieties of turfgrasses
- Observe texture, growth habits, and color during the year
Tour: Click Here for a Tour of the Turfgrass Demonstration mp3 Audio File
This garden is still in the process of being established.
The varieties of grasses and their local success may help you meet the challenges that exist in your own landscape.
Turf grasses fall into two basic categories: cool and warm-season.
- Cool-season grasses withstand winter cold but typically languish in hot, dry summer. Examples include: fine fescue, perennial ryegrass and Kentucky blue grass.
- Warm-season grass in hot weather but turn brown in cold winter weather. Examples are: Bermuda grass, zoysia, blue grama and buffalo grass.
Mixtures of cool and warm season grasses are sometimes used to provide a year-around green lawn. Some gardeners over-seed their turf each year. Although a common mixture locally is Kentucky bluegrass and fescue, other grasses may better suit your needs.
Choice of turf can involve trade-offs in appearance. Buffalo grass is drought tolerant but turns reddish brown after frost. Kentucky bluegrass requires more water to keep its green color.
A unique turf bubbler system will be used in this demonstration area. This type of system must be installed prior to seeding but reduces water loss from evaporation that occurs with most sprayer types of irrigation.