Here are some questions and suggestions to help homeowners bring more “backyarding” into their life:
1. Invest in the yard.
Design a dream lawn and garden. Consider its purpose. Don’t design just for aesthetics. Do you have kids and pets who need a place to play? Will you be hosting safe gatherings? Do you need a place for rest and relaxation and/or games and recreation?
2. Get the whole family involved.
Create a game or a friendly competition with your family to help identify all the ways you can move your indoor life to the great outdoors—and right out your backdoor. Can you take office calls and video meetings to the patio or porch? Can your kids do their online learning outdoors? How often can you take dining outside? Keeping safety in mind, can you gather outdoors for family celebrations, birthdays, graduations, and reunions?
3.
Plant something—as early as possible. (Or plant more!)
Adding trees, bushes, grass, and flowering plants is a good yard investment, but they often take time to grow. Plant as early as recommended so you can enjoy the benefits faster. Just remember “right plant, right place.” Location, maintenance, sunlight, and watering needs should all be considered, as well as your climate zone.
4. Stretch winter-weary muscles.
Take workouts, yoga classes, and meditation sessions outdoors. You also can let off some steam by mowing the grass, trimming the hedges, or edging the lawn. Working in the yard not only helps our living landscapes look better and stay healthy, it also gives us a sense of accomplishment and control in trying times.
5. Plan a staycation.
A makeshift “resort” or vacation spot could be just out your back door. Pitch a tent, build a campfire, hang a sheet between trees to make a movie screen, set up games—these are just a few ideas to make the backyard a vacation spot.
6. “Level up” nature care.
Add flowering plants, trees, and shrubs to give wildlife and pollinators food and shelter. Your yard is part of the larger ecosystem, so check your climate zone for landscaping options that support your birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife. Don’t forget to take time to just sit and drink it in, observing the wildlife and nature around you.
Research shows simply spending time in nature—which starts in your backyard—is good for reducing stress, boosting heart health, boosting Vitamin D levels, and enhancing memory. Tanks to the family yard, the health and well-being benefits of being outside are just a few steps away.
TurfMutt was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators, and families since 2009. Through classroom materials developed with Scholastic, TurfMutt teaches students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” For more information on TurfMutt, visit
TurfMutt.com. Sign up for Mutt Mail, a monthly e-newsletter with backyarding tips and all the news from the TurfMutt Foundation, at the link that follows.
https://opei.us17.
list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d7cbaa310f76e5b6408a28c4a&id=ef4209e160
34 TPI Turf News May/June 2021
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