Lawn Green Lawn Care Blog

[Lawn Watering] [Heatwave in Sydney] [Drought Proof Your Lawn]

2011-02-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

[Dead Patches In Lawn] [Lawn Dead Patches] [Lawn Grubs]

2011-02-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

[Lawn Care Tips] - [Weed and Feed Lawn Care] - [Lawn Green] [Lawn Care] ...

2011-01-31T19:30:00.000-08:00

[Dead Patches In Lawn] [Lawn Dead Patches] [Lawn Grubs]

2011-01-23T21:50:00.000-08:00

[Buffalo Lawn Care] [Sir Walter Buffalo] [St Augustine Grass]

2011-01-23T18:07:00.000-08:00

[Kikuyu Lawn Care] [Lawn Problems and Solutions] [Lawn Care Tips]

2011-01-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

[Couch Lawn Care] [Queensland Blue Couch] [Lawn Grubs]

2011-01-23T18:02:00.000-08:00

Go To YourLawnAndGarden.com to Grow Your Own LawnMowing and Gardening Business

2009-05-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

We have just launched www.YourLawnAndGarden.com

More to come on this soon!

Lawn Care - Can LAWN GREEN Supply its Lawn Care Products to Home Owners?

2009-02-13T21:03:00.000-08:00

In the red coloured text below is the copy of an email I received on Friday 13/2/09 from a lady that lives 2 hours drive from Sydney:

Dear Gerry, I live at Eleebana, Lake Macquarie, so out of your range, but I am interested in your fertiliser. Is it possible that I can get some in this area ? (Newcastle/Lake Macquarie). We have a Sir Walter buffalo lawn, which has been down about 5 years, and over the last couple of days I have noticed huge brown patches appear.We are checking for army grub -- will put out a wet bag tonight -- but I wonder if it might also be a fungal disease?

The main point of this Blog Post is that we are NOT allowed to sell these Professional Lawn Care products to home owners as these products are not registered for Home Owner use.

This may sound silly, however, there is a lot to understand about the use, storage and handling of these fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides. Additionally, these products tend to come in large sizes such as 20-25 kilogram bags for the different fertiliser products, 10-20 litre containers for the different herbicide products, and 15 kilogram containers for the different insecticides - and as such the cost and size per product is way to much for the small suburban house lawn!!

By law, we are prohibited to sell these products to home owners.

The only way Home Owners can access similar products is via Bunnings stores or other hardware store or Garden Nurseries and Landscape Supply Centres.

For more general information go to www.LawnGreen.com.au/lawn_green_s_faq_frequently_asked_questions

Finally Some Much needed Rain at last for Sydney Lawns

2009-02-13T20:53:00.000-08:00

Finally, we have some much needed rain for Sydney Lawns and Gardens.

As you most probably know we recommend Infrequent Heavy Soaking Rain.

You can find out more at our website pages below:
www.LawnGreen.com.au/beat_the_water_restrictions
www.LawnGreen.com.au/awards_announcements
www.LawnGreen.com.au/lawn_green_s_faq_frequently_asked_questions

Lawn Problems at Schools and Pre-Schools

2009-02-11T14:06:00.000-08:00

We get calls from Schools and Pre-Schools requesting quotations and advice for Lawn Care.

In extreme cases, school children are not permitted to play on the school ovals and grassed playing areas due to the severe weed problem in the turfed and grassed areas.

The two (2) main reasons for the children not being allowed to play on the grassed areas are:

The weeds including Khaki Weed have dangerous burrs, and when children fall over on to the grass they hurt themselves
The main weeds in the grassed areas include clover and dandelions. These weeds attract a lot of bees, and many children are allergic to bee stings

Lawn Green is able to provide ongoing Lawn Care maintaining these playing fields and ovals with its Dry Lawn Care method.

For more information please go to http://www.lawngreen.com.au/dry_lawn_care_method , and while you are there register for our Free Report on "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn".

Lawn Care - Some Customers Can Give You A Scare, and There is Lots Of Lawn Insect Damage about!

2009-02-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

Hell, Some Customers Can Give You A Scare!

Yesterday I got a call from a customer at Bayview (a beautiful suburb, right on the water at Pittwater and Palm Beach, Sydney). Anyway, the phone call gave me a bit of a fright, as the customer said we had ruined her lawn. After taking a deep breath, and asking lots of questions, I decided to meet with her at 7 o'clock the next day.

I got there, met the customer and assessed the lawn (in this case a Buffalo lawn, or as the Americans call it, St Augustine grass).

Luckily (for me) and sure enough, the damaged lawn areas were a result of a combination of the recent heat waves we have experienced combined with preceding damage caused by Lawn Foraging/Feeding Insects such as curl grub and Black Beetle. The damaged areas presented themselves as classic Lawn Damage caused by these insects.

It took me a while to explain all this to the customer. We also explained that the Lawn Damage was not consistent with any spraying of lawn weeds. When we first started any work on this lady's lawn we did spray for some post-emergent weeds. That was 6 months ago, and since then we have kept the pre-emergent weeds at bay with our pro-active Dry Lawn Care approach. The current lawn damage has emerged as a result of heat stress and insect damage. It is just unfortunate the customer's lawn was subject to an insect attack.

So what can we say about all this? Not much, except to say that we all the work carried out by Lawn Green is done with minimal spraying of herbicides...in fact, using our Dry Lawn Care method we can ensure the customer's lawn will be best looked after using our 2-in-1 Weed and Feed Lawn Care product.

For details on the Dry Lawn Care approach please go to www.LawnGreen.com.au/dry_lawn_care_method and to www.LawnGreen.com.au/lawn_green_lawn_care_and_granular_insect_control_treatment for a good common sense approach to Lawn Care.

Finally, we did apply granular insecticide and some fertiliser to all the customer's lawn areas to ensure a speedy lawn recovery!

Lawn Care - Heavy But Infrequent Watering

2009-01-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

Just following on from the last post...we would like to clarify exactly what is the correct way to water your lawn.

If you refer to the following pages of our website at http://www.LawnGreen.com.au/beat_the_water_restrictions and http://www.LawnGreen.com.au/lawn_green_s_waterless_weed_and_feed_lawn_care, you will see that we recommend Heavy But Infrequent Watering.

With Heavy Watering you are encouraging deep turf root growth, and with a deep root system you get Drought Tolerance. Now this Heavy But Infrequent Watering is actually mimicked by our rainfall (in Australia - except for the mid to late Summers, where we do have some really Hot and Dry spells!). So we then tell our customers and friends that in the normal rainfall periods it really is unnecessary to water your lawns with town water, as the rainfall is taking care of the lawn grasses' water needs.

Anyway while you are visiting our website please register for the Free Report "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn". This report is jam packed with great information and tips - the report rolls out over 5-7 days, and after that we keep in touch with you every 4 weeks with additional Lawn Care tips.

Lawn Care Tips - Waterless Lawn Care Except When Its Boiling Hot!

2009-01-27T20:57:00.000-08:00

OK, alright! - We got it wrong, and we admit it!

All along we have promoted Waterless Lawn Care, where you just rely on the rainfall for Your Lawn's Heavy, But Infrequent Watering (refer to http://www.lawngreen.com.au/lawn_green_s_waterless_weed_and_feed_lawn_care ).

Lately, here in Sydney (Australia) we have hit some pretty hot days!

You know its Hot when the temperature reaches 40 degrees C in Sydney CBD (that's what it reached last Saturday 24th Jan 2009). For you people not familiar with Australia, Sydney city is a coastal town, and Summer temps rarely get over 30 degrees Celsius. Inland to the outer suburbs of Sydney, the temperatures in Summer are usually 5-7 degrees Celsius warmer that the coast.

Anyway, the point of this post is to remind people that we do encourage watering in extreme dry and hot conditions.

Lawn Care - Choosing the Right Turf Grass and Other Alternatives For Shady Areas

2009-01-24T20:35:00.000-08:00

In the course of our business of Lawn Care, we see plenty of landscape situations where there is way too much shade for the prevailing (and usually, under - performing) lawn grass.

Usually what has happened is that the original garden design took into account a fairly sunny aspect, however, over time this sunny aspect has become more shady with the growth of plants, trees and garden hedges. The growth of these plants may have occurred for a number of reasons including the home owner's desire for more privacy.

However, home owners then need to understand that if they wish to retain the existing shady outlook, then the lawn areas may need to be replaced with a turf more suited to and tolerant of shady situations.

Alternately, the homeowner may consider changes to the current landscape design including:

decorative paving to the areas affected by shade
extending and increasing the garden beds to areas affected by shade - it is important to plant low growing shrubs or ground cover plants in the shade affected areas, and to plant shrubs that will tolerate shade (obviously)

Any changes to landscape design may require the services of a landscape designer (or nursery plant supplier) to assist in the correct selection of plants for predominantly shady areas. More drastic changes might include a total over haul of the current landscape design.

Regardless of what happens it would also help the home owner to seek advice from a specialist Lawn Care company. A specialist Lawn Care company will give totally independent advice as to what is the right turf grass for the home owner's landscape. The cost of consultation for this advice would be offset by the cost of supplying and installing the wrong turf grass.

Lawn Green specialises in "turning your tired old grass into lush green lawn" using its Waterless Weed and Feed Lawn Care program.

To find out more about Lawn Care please visit http://www.LawnGreen.com.au/lawn_green_s_faq_frequently_asked_questions and whilst you are visiting http://LawnGreen.com.au please register for your Free Report on "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn."

Selecting the Right Turf Grass For Your Lawn Areas

2009-01-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

Selecting the correct Turf Grass for landscaped areas around your home can be a challenge. The main factor that needs to be considered when choosing the turf or lawn type for your garden areas is Sunlight.

Sunlight (or to the contrary, shade) is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting the turf grass for your home.

In the Australian climate (and particularly here in Sydney), the main Warm Season turf grasses available to homeowners are Durban Grass, Buffalo (or St Augustine Grass as it is known in North America), Zoysia, Couch (or Bermuda Grass as it is known in North America) and Kikuyu.

Now, in order of shade tolerance you have Durban Grass (which can just about tolerate full shade without too much trouble), then next you have Buffalo (which can tolerate a fair bit of shade but needs a few hours of sunlight each day), then Zoysia and Couch (they can handle some shade but need around 6 hours of sunlight each day, and finally you have Kikuyu (which hates shade, and needs full sun to perform well all year round).

Once the above information is considered, then you can choose the turf grass based on your preference for colour and aesthetics.

We have seen garden situations where the predominant turf is Kikuyu, however, because the garden plants have grown since the original landscaping was completed the lawn areas have become covered extensively with shade. Consequently, the under performing Kikuyu lawn has become an eyesore for the homeowner.

The advice we give the homeowner is to create more sunlight for the lawn areas by trimming and pruning garden plants, or alternately, replace the kikuyu lawn with a more shade tolerant Lawn grass.

For more specific information on Lawn and Turf Grass Types go to: http://www.LawnGreen.com.au/what_turf_grass_is_that and http://www.LawnGreen.com.au/lawn_green_s_waterless_weed_and_feed_lawn_care

And while you are there please register online for Lawn Green's Free Report "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn."

Lawn Care - Lawn Damage by Disease, Insects & Drought/Heat Stress

2009-01-16T17:09:00.000-08:00

Every summer in Sydney, Australia we can look forward to our fair share of hot weather with wet and dry periods depending on local prevailing conditions.

It goes without saying that all Australian lawns and turf grasses (warm season grasses including couch, kikuyu, buffalo, zoysia and so on) will suffer from diseases (fungal attacks), insect damage and heat stress depending on the prevailing Summer conditions.

Generally, if the conditions are more wet, we will see more lawns damaged by fungal attacks. Obviously, there will be a greater incidence of fungal attacks with conducive conditions - those being warm and wet weather conditions.

On the other hand, if conditions are hot and dry (that is, when there has been little heavy rain fall for several weeks), then any lawn insect damage that has already occurred will become obvious with dead patches appearing in the lawn.

We notice that if we have a hot summer with regular rain fall (that is, with around 15-25 millimetres rain falling say every 7 to 10 days) then even though the insects (curl grubs, for example) have damaged the turf grass root system, this is not apparent on top - that is, the turf grass will look undamaged to the untrained eye.

With these wetter conditions, however, there is a greater chance of lawns suffering from one of many fungal diseases that attack the many different turf grasses.

Just a quick note regarding heat or drought stress to lawns.

We recommend people provide heavy but infrequent water to their lawns and turf grasses. Heavy but infrequent watering (25mm of rainfall or watering every week or two) promotes deep root growth. Deep root systems make lawns drought tolerant. This heavy but infrequent watering (as experienced in the coastal areas of Australia) comes in the form of our rainfall. So it stands to reason that we don't need to water our lawns.

Lawn Green specialises in "turning your tired old grass into lush green lawn."

All Lawn Lovers please go to http://www.LawnGreen.com.au for your Free Report on "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn."

Or for more specific information on Lawn Insect Control, disease and watering go to: http://www.LawnGreen.com.au/beat_the_water_restrictions , http://www.LawnGreen.com.au/lawn_green_lawn_care_and_granular_insect_control_treatment or to http://www.LawnGreen.com.au/lawn_green_lawn_care_and_turf_insect_damage

Turf Insect Damage inflicted on Your Lawns

2009-01-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed that lots of lawns (particularly in Sydney, Australia where I live) are suffering serious lawn damage as a result of Lawn Foraging Insects?

We are posting this blog because a some of our clients are experiencing set backs with their lawns at present, and we thought it best to let you know that any set backs that you may be experiencing with your lawn at present is likely to be a result of Insect damage.

Some people think that maybe it's just a bit of heat stress and try to fix the problem with extra watering.

However, the best thing to do is to attack the problem head on with an insecticide that targets Lawn Feeding Insects.

These insects include:

Couch Fly, Couch Grass Mite, Curl Grub and Black Beetle attacking Couch Turf grasses
Curl Grub, Black Beetle, Bill Bug and so on that attack all range of turf grasses including couch, kikuyu, buffalo, zoysia etc

In keeping with Lawn Green's minimal spraying approach (think Dry Lawn Care Method), we use a Granular Insecticide that is bullet proof in its control of Lawn Insects.

The benefits of using the Granular Insecticide as opposed to the Liquid ones are as follows:

safer for customers because of the granular approach - it only has to be watered in afterwards to activate the insecticide
safer for us because it is a granular product
gives you control over insects for longer periods - depending on quantity applied to lawns
the granular insecticide is really effective because it is not photo degradable (that is, it does not break down in sunlight - whereas the liquid insecticides lose their potency due to breaking down in sunlight

Anyway, if you need help with fixing your Lawn Insect Damage problems please call Lawn Green immediately on 1300 55 74 72.

Or you can call Gerry directly on his mobile on 0412.766.955

Another thing, could you please spread the good news (to your friends) about Lawn Green. Tell them they can visit us at www.LawnGreen.com.au

Or if they want specific information on Lawn insect damage and Lawn insect control, just send them to http://www.lawngreen.com.au/lawn_green_lawn_care_and_granular_insect_control_treatment or to http://www.lawngreen.com.au/lawn_green_lawn_care_and_turf_insect_damage to see if we can help them.

Gerry Faehrmann, The Owner Of Lawn Green - EzineArticles.com Expert Author Bio

2008-04-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

Gerry Faehrmann - EzineArticles.com Expert Author Bio

Please have a look at Gerry's Bio page for the latest full listing of Expert Articles on Lawn Care.

Lawn Care articles at EzineArticles.com

2008-04-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

Just recently we have submitted some Expert Articles on Lawn Care with the premier Internet Article website www.EzineArticles.com. Most of our articles are listed under the category Home-and-Family:Gardening.

Some of the articles are:
1. http://ezinearticles.com/?Lawn-Care---OK,-So-We-Need-To-Feed-The-Lawn!-Then-What-Is-The-Best-Lawn-Fertiliser?&id=1078758
2. http://ezinearticles.com/?Lawn-Care-Secrets-Revealed---Why-Bother-With-A-Lawn-Feeding-Program-Anyway?&id=1076222
3. http://ezinearticles.com/?Lawn-Care-Secrets-Revealed---How-You-Can-Have-A-Beautiful-Lush-Green-Lawn-Without-Watering&id=1056845

Let us know if you want information on other specific areas of Lawn Care - we would love to help you!

New Information On ArmyWorms, Lawn Grubs and Weeds inc Bindii, Clover, Oxalis Coming To Lawn Green's Website

2008-03-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

We have re-built our web site at www.LawnGreen.com.au . Consequently, we have added to our web site a plethora of information that you will find really helpful.

New pages feature topics including:
1. Army Worms And Lawn Grubs
2. Bindii, Clover, Oxalis, Dandelions, Wintergrass and all weeds
3. Lawn Green Lawn Care - Weed Control Without Spraying or Using Herbicide Sprays
4. Wintergrass Control In Your Lawn
5. Why Does Grass Loose Its Colour In Winter?
6. You Can Control Weeds In Buffalo Lawns

Anyway, this is a start of things to come. So please enjoy reading up on all things green!

Just What Is The Right Turf Grass For My Lawn? Before You Buy Your Turf Grass, Make Sure You Get Independent Advice On Which Type To Buy!

2008-03-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

Are You Worried You Might Pick The Wrong Turf Grass For Your Lawn?

Worry No More!

Lawn Green offers a Lawn Consultation Service to homeowners, landscapers, gardeners and business owners wanting advice on what is the correct Turf Grass for their Lawn Area.

So why should you get advice at all? Good question!

What you really want is Independent Advice!

Problem here is that some turf suppliers (around your city) grow different types of say buffalo turf grasses and couch turf grasses. The buffalo turf grasses, for example, Palmetto buffalo or Sapphire buffalo, are grown under licence from the companies that own the Plant Breeders Rights (aka the patent).

Now, it is these licences that are valuable to the turf growers. Any turf grower would rather sell you a pallet load of Palmetto buffalo because the profit margin of that sale is greater than that on a sale of say Kikuyu Turf Grass.

So, in some cases, it is the almighty Dollar that drives the advice given by Turf Growers to the unsuspecting homeowner and landscaper.

To avoid this scenario, what you can do is to get Lawn Green in to give you the Right (and Independent) advice on What Is The Right Turf Grass for Your Lawn.

Just for a small investment of $125 you will save yourself hundreds (and maybe even thousands) of dollars in making the Right Choice!

Not to mention, you will be getting the right turf for the existing site conditions such as a lot of shade, sunny aspect or whatever!

Call us now on 1300 55 74 72 to book in your consultation!

Also, go to www.LawnGreen.com.au and sign up for our FREE report "The 5 Secrets To Great Looking Lawn".

FREE REPORT - "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn"

2008-02-20T16:54:00.000-08:00

All gardeners and lawn lovers should quickly check out www.LawnGreen.com.au, and register for their FREE REPORT (Valued At $57) re: "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn".

In this Report you will learn some Great Tips on how to have the Best Lawn In The Street including:

How your lawn can overcome droughts and water restrictions with no effort
What are the exact amounts of NPK nutrients your lawn needs
How to protect your lawn against weeds and insects, year round
And much much more

Now, if you need help with your lawn, please call us on 1300 55 74 72 for a FREE quote to turn your tired old grass into Lush Green Lawn, or visit us at www.LawnGreen.com.au and register online for a FREE quote.

Franchise Business Opportunity with Lawn Green

2008-02-20T00:39:00.000-08:00

Lawn Green is excited to announce that its expansion plans for the Sydney market and beyond are taking shape.

Lawn Green's unique Waterless Weed and Feed Lawn Care system is now a popular service with hundreds of Sydney homes, schools and businesses.

Lawn Green is proud of the relationship it has with its many happy customers. You can read about the glowing testimonials at www.LawnGreen.com.au .

Lawn Green's expansion plans will allow prospective Lawn Green operators to enjoy the fruits of the Lawn Green business model via the sale of franchised territories. More information will be posted in the short term.

FREE REPORT - "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn"

2008-02-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

Team Lawn Green has completely re-built its website, and the new http://www.LawnGreen.com.au/ went live in its new incarnation at the beginning of this week.

All gardeners and lawn lovers should quickly check out http://www.LawnGreen.com.au/, and get your FREE REPORT (Valued At $57) about "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn".

In this Report you will learn some Great Tips on how to have the Best Lawn In The Street including:

How your lawn can overcome droughts and water restrictions
What are the exact amounts of NPK nutrients your lawn needs
How to protect your lawn against weeds and insects, year round
And much much more

Now, if you need help with your lawn, please call us on 1300 55 74 72 for a FREE quote to turn your tired old grass into Lush Green Lawn, or visit us at www.LawnGreen.com.au and register online for a FREE quote.

The 2007 Landscape Expo is coming soon!

2007-06-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

Did you know The 2007 Landscape Expo is just around the corner?

If you are part of the following groups of Landscape Professionals such as Landscape Contractors, Landscape Architects, Maintenance Staff, Greenkeepers, Nurserymen, Horticulturists, Council Staff, Designers, Builders, Students and all professionals involved within the General Landscaping Industry, then you will be interested in the 2007 Landscape Expo.

Lawn Green is exhibiting at The 2007 Landscape Expo!

Please come by and see us at Stand Number D4.

Look out for us – we will be the ONLY bright lime green stand! We would love to have a chat with you!

Details as follows:
2007 Landscape Expo
Wednesday 25th July, 2007 - Friday 27th July, 2007
Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush Bay
Go to this map link of where to park and how to get there.

The Event is held specifically for those professionals involved in the design, specification, construction and maintenance of public, commercial and residential landscapes. An estimated 4500 visitors including Landscape Contractors, Landscape Architects Maintenance Staff, Greenkeepers, Nurserymen, Horticulturists, Council Staff, Designers, Builders, Students and all professionals involved within the General Landscaping Industry are expected over the Exhibition's 3 day duration.

Starting a new lawn mowing business from scratch!

2007-06-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

If you know somebody who is looking for a career change and they want to get into their own lawn mowing and garden maintenance business, please refer them to www.thelawnexpert.com.au

Instead of spending their redundancy payout on a lawnmowing franchise like Jim's Mowing or VIP Home Services, they can for a low-to-almost-no risk investment be on the road to business success with TheLawnExpert.

The Lawn Expert's offers all the good stuff of a franchise but at a fraction of the cost (that is, less than half a case of beer a week!!). For more information about the "Lawn Mowing Contractor's Business Success Manual", the Business Coaching Clinics and all the rest go to The Lawn Expert web site, www.TheLawnExpert.com.au

9 Ways To Protect Your Children Online

2007-06-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

I know this has absolutely nothing to do with Lawns and Gardens, but I am a family man and I am really passionate about the well being of my children!! A computer/IT friend of mine has given me permission to copy and paste the following article from his blog at http://blog.pcfworks.com

So please read on!

9 Ways To Protect Your Children Online (by Phillip Flores)

The last couple of days I have been thinking a lot about this topic simply because it is this week’s debating topic for my second daughter, it was also an article in a family magazine that I receive monthly called Perspective, and finally I made a comment in a blog posting on this very same topic.

This topic, I am sure has been discussed, blogged, commented on a lot of times and what I will say is nothing new and at the same time I know that I can still contribute something to it. My 9 Ways are:

1. Use an internet content filtering software.
2. Place the computer in a common area.
3. Set a login password.
4. Ask why.
5. Suggest alternative sources of information.
6. Offer other forms of entertainment.
7. Talk about what’s good or bad about the world wide web.
8. Get to know the parents of your children’s friends (very important).
9. Your own example.

Use an internet content filtering software. A huge body of information is available regarding this idea. This is the most obvious means of establishing some form of protection. It is not 100% perfect but generally does what it is meant to do. A filtering software usually allows contents of sites that are listed in a ‘white list’ to be displayed while those in a ‘black list’ are disallowed.

Place the computer in a common area. This is a no-brainer. If the computer is in a place in the house where you can see or glance over what site your child is currently into it is less likely they will visit a site that they know you disapprove of. Placing the computer in an area of the house where there is a lot of human traffic primarily serves as a deterrent for visiting sites that are offensive or embarrassing from your children’s point of view.

Set a login password. If there is a lock on a door, it is a bit more difficult to enter it. It is the same with a computer connected to the Internet. Set a login password to every computer that is connected to or will be connected to the Internet. Let the children go through the exercise of asking you to login for them when they need to use the Internet. This deters the children from simply just going to it and start surfing. This also requires a bit of effort on the part of the parent(s) since they have to stop whatever they are doing to do the logging on. Do not give the password to any of the children because that is just like having no password at all.

Ask why. This is more or less related to the previous paragraph. Ask why do they need access to the Internet. Nowadays, it is common for children to refer or access the Internet when they are doing their homework and this is a fact of life. Parents should find out if there is really a need to access the Internet. Ask the children for a clear answer rather than them just waffling through and answering in very generic terms. It also trains the children to express an idea clearly.

Suggest alternative sources of information. Sometimes, the children’s homework requirement may be resolved by another source of information. For example there is Microsoft’s Encarta and the Encyclopaedia Brittani ca on DVD which they can also use. Both of these software still go to the Internet but only when necessary e.g. a later version of the information is available or facts have changed since the publication of the software etc. There are cases in my own home that one child simply needs a picture of a scenery and an old copy of The National Geographic can help immensely.

Offer other forms of entertainment. Oftentimes, the access to the Internet is sought after because of the entertainment value that the Internet presents. There are now hundreds of sites that offer video snippets, online games, music, etc. Make your children realise that there are other forms of entertainment and that the Internet is only one other medium. Try to have video nights with the children or go and buy a board game that everyone will like. What I’m trying to say is that in terms of entertainment, the Internet is not the be all and end all.

Talk about what’s good or bad about the WWW. Simply telling the children that access to the Internet is restricted because it is bad is not exactly the best idea. The children, depending on the age and level of maturity, have also to find out why. Using parental wisdom and discretion, explain to them why such a restriction is in place. Generally, children will accept your reasoning and will go along with it. With the older children, sometimes it is even appropriate to mention actual cases of unsavoury events that occurred because of the Internet e.g. cyber-stalking, loss of privacy, etc. On the other hand, they also have to see that the WWW presents opportunities for learning and knowledge and it is to their advantage if they learn how to make use of it in this manner.

Get to know the parents of your children’s friends. This one together with the point below I consider a major item. Why? Because all your effort of placing the previously mentioned suggestions will go out of the window if your children have unfettered access to the Internet in their friend’s homes. If this is the case, the friend’s house becomes more attractive and more inviting than what it really is, simply because of the access to the Internet. By getting to know the parents, you will get some idea on how they go about protecting their own children from the dangers of the Internet. It is also a good opportunity to share and possible educate them on the need of Internet protection. Armed with the foreknowledge of how easy the Internet is accessed in the house of your child’s or children’s friends you can provide the appropriate advise.

Your own example. Finally, the main point. I consider this to be the major means of protecting the children from the dangers of the Internet. You may ask why. Because, for them their measuring stick on how to behave or do things is how their parents do and say things. Children learn from looking and seeing. If you tell them that the Internet is only to be used for homeworks and communicating with others via email and they see you spending an inordinate amount of time playing World of Warcraft then this presents a conflict in their minds. It also presents a fallacy that it’s ok for daddy or mommy but not for me because they are now big, therefore when I am big enough I can do the same thing too. Wrong. If they see that you use the Internet in exactly the same way you want them to use it, with a few exceptions because of work which they can clearly see and understand, they will start using it in the same way.

Looking at these items you can see that only 1/3 pertain directly to the computer; the remaining 2/3 involve the people who use the computer especially the parents.

Personally, I consider the last two items as the most crucial since for children what is most important is what comes through their eyes and not really what goes through their ears. They are constantly comparing what is being said or asked of them to what their parents are doing. Ask the saying goes, we as parents must be able to ‘walk the talk’. Only by showing our children that we are also protecting ourselves from the perils of the Internet will they themselves consciously police themselves as well.

The Lawn Expert is up and running!

2007-06-08T00:31:00.000-07:00

The Lawn Expert web site, www.thelawnexpert.com.au, is up and running.

If you are a lawn mowing and gardening contractor you may be interested in the service provided from this site.

The Lawn Expert gives hope to budding lawn mowing and gardening contractors for little-to-almost-no risk. Opportunities exist for new comers to the industry to succeed in the business with out having to make all the mistakes others have made.

The services provided by member contractors include lawn mowing, gardening, irrigation repairs, tree and shrub care, landscaping, tree work, gutter cleaning, and so on.

Starting A New Lawn Mowing Business

2007-05-30T22:51:00.001-07:00

Well, we have finally launched our new web site www.thelawnexpert.com.au

This is a really useful business resource for new start up businesses in the home services sector (including services such as lawn mowing, gardening, landscaping, gutter cleaning, weed control, garden make overs and more).

It basically offers an exceptionally good low cost alternative to the well known Lawn Mowing and Gardening franchises and franchise groups. Besides the attraction of being a low cost alternative, www.thelawnexpert.com.au will provide potential independent lawn mowing contractors access to a range of marketing, business and OHS information (much of it for FREE!)

The other great attraction of this web site resource to its potential members is the Lead - Referral system. You have to have a look at it!

Lawn Care for Schools and Playing Areas - Bees and Clover Problems

2007-05-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

We get calls from Schools and Pre-Schools requesting quotations and advice for Lawn Care (ie. for the weed and feed Lawn Care).

In extreme cases, school children are not permitted to play on the school ovals and grassed playing areas due to the severe weed problem in the turfed and grassed areas.

The two (2) main reasons for the children not being allowed to play on the grassed areas are:

The weeds including Khaki Weed have dangerous burrs, and when children fall over on to the grass they hurt themselves
The main weeds in the grassed areas include clover and dandelions. These weeds attract a lot of bees, and many children are allergic to bee stings

Lawn Green is able to provide ongoing Lawn Care maintaining these playing fields and ovals with its Dry Lawn Care method. For more information please go to http://www.lawngreen.com.au/dry_lawn_care_method , and while you are there register for our Free Report on "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn".

The Lawn Expert

2007-05-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

The link to TheLawnExpert's web site is www.TheLawnExpert.com.au

New E-Book "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn – anywhere in the world!" just published

2007-05-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

We are launching a new e-book called "The 5 Secrets To A Great Looking Lawn – anywhere in the world!".

This has been written by TheLawnExpert at www.TheLawnExpert.com.au

This book will be really helpful for diy homeowners and lawn mowing contractors, and any one involved in landscape maintenance for that matter!

Lawn Green Blog-Diary

2007-05-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

OOhh this is exciting our own web log!

As you can see this is our Blog Debut. Let's see how we go!

Regards,
The Lawn Care Specialist