The house is surrounded by a sea of green: a lush lawn with the uniform rich color of emeralds and the silky texture of feathers, a living carpet that bathes your bare toes in coolness and delight.

It's a dream that most of us share, yet surprisingly few of us get to enjoy.

If your yard is blessed with large old oak trees, maples, or firs, the heavy shade prevents the establishment of a satisfactory turf.

If you live in the western desert, or where water is rationed during frequent droughts, a turf lawn is impractical, expensive, or impossible.

If your home is built on a steep slope, you need ground cover plants, not grass, with deep networks of fibrous roots to prevent erosion. Who wants to mow on a steep slope anyway?

If you're among the millions who aspire to the emerald green lawn, we've got solid information that will help you achieve your goal.

There is absolutely no question that long-term lawn maintenance is easiest when the lawn has been properly grown from the beginning. That means preparing a good soil bed; choosing a grass seed variety that's appropriate to your climate, amount of sunlight, and foot traffic; and allowing the newly seeded or sodded lawn the privilege of "intensive care" (no visitors: people, pets, squirrels, or birds) until it's well established.

If you want it, you can have that lush lawn with the uniform rich color of emeralds and the silky texture of feathers, a living carpet that bathes your bare toes in coolness and delight. The articles in this dream lawn series will help you learn how to do it.

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C.R.S., Inc. · Spokane, Washington · USA