From a clear picture of where the industry is today to the most detailed advice and information on why any business could fail, this book has all the information you could possibly need to be successful in todays world of lawn care.

Knowing the industry is important and the author is no stranger to the classics of administration, developing to the point details about the logical basics, from grass, money distribution, estimates, prices and the actual get in and go, its a classic structure to any military campaign or business plan.

You need to know what kind of focus you are going to have that is different from the competition in your area. Are they ecologically friendly already, or do they still use gas-guzzling machines that make noise. Perhaps they are all children, looking to make some extra money for paintball in the summer and could potentially become your allies, working with you, for a more professional amount of money and learn the trade the professional way?

Did you do your research into the market, do you know all the legal procedures, for example, is it even legal to hire children to mow lawns? Under what conditions are they allowed to do so? What about business (military) structures and the basics of a decent business plan?

You will need all the proper legal advice concerning lawn care business in the US and exactly what to look for and where depending on how big you really want to go.

There are tools that need to be purchased, from one single chair in an office, to the biodiesel guzzling zero-emission lawn tractors that are so essential to being environmentally friendly.

Getting the business off the ground isnt the end of it though… You will need to keep up to date, know the many different lawn care associations, publications, ongoing insights and developments of the business.

Know your SWOT by heart, do advertisement efficiently and honestly, know how to use the Internet in detail, express your own ideas on lawn care through articles, newsletters, garden shows.

You will need to have all your operating expenses well planned out and in the end, follow the unseen rules of business, those that tell why a business will fail, and why it will succeed.

This 168-page paperback, written by Eileen Figure Sandlin, published by Entrepreneur Press in its thirty-first edition as of December of 2003, measures 9.1 x 7 x 0.4 and ships at 9.6 ounces.

A do-it-yourself, start your own lawn care business manual that puts years of study in business administration and experience in the lawn care trade, all in one, easy to read, to the point place that will make the difference between your possible success, or failure, for a greener, brighter and more ecologically friendly lawn care business of the future.

Fairy magic and childhood imagination have been spellbound by the mystical bubble, since children first used pipes to blow bubbles from their mothers laundry soap hundreds of years ago and that same enchantment continues to this very day.

Few toys are as successful as bubble wands, if any, and its incredible to think that such a simple toy would be so popular to our civilization, but for some strange reason, humans just love bubbles.

Anyone who remembers David Bowie in the movie Labyrinth, will inevitably also remember the scene where he uses floating crystals to entrap the protagonist in a masked ball, and it is that level of dream-reality children can access when they play with bubbles.

Its at that moment that they have access to the realm of limitless imagination.

Gazillion Bubbles Sprinkler includes 8 ounces of bubble solution, measures 6.8 x 7.6 x 11.6 and ships at 2.3 pounds.

For a whirling array of bubbles that lasts for up to ten minutes, Gazillion Bubbles Sprinkler holds eight ounces of bubble solution, hooks up to the garden hose and provides gazillions of giggles and fun in the sun for summer playtime on the lawn.

See the Gazillion Bubbles Sprinkler in action:

One summer passion is to go out on the front lawn or in the park and play with boomerangs, but what do we really know about boomerangs?

This low-tech weapon/toy that descends of primitive peoples and times when knowing how to make tools on your own and being able to rely on ones own ingenuity made the difference between life or death?

Boomerangs are fun to throw, fun to make and when done correctly, with responsibility, can become an important lesson in both human history and self-reliance, for everyone.

For those who enjoy fun on the lawn in summer, the confection of a boomerang could be the exact activity.

This 99-page paperback, written by Bernard S. Mason, published by Dover in June of 1974, measures 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.4 and ships at 5.6 ounces.

Bernard Masons Boomerangs: How to Make and Throw Them puts history lessons and practical do-it-yourself knowledge in less than 100 pages, in a straight to the point story-arc, that comes back to where you started, with exactly what you were looking for.

Make a boomerang out of paint sticks:

Five types of Swisher Zero Turn Radius Mowers:

• Big Mow™ #ZT2766 - 27HP with 66″ wide cutting deck - The strongest and widest Swisher mower.
• Z-MAX - #ZT2660B - 26HP 60″ wide cutting deck - The same big power but shorter cut length.
• ZT - #ZT2350A - 23HP 50″ wide cutting deck - A bit smaller with even less cut length; for even lesser cutting jobs.
• Riding King #ZT2350A - 20HP 52″ wide cutting deck - A quality mower/mulcher for the most difficult of jobs.
• ZSwisher - #ZT18542 (see below) - 18.5 HP 42″ wide cutting deck - A unit for quick jobs and smaller cuts.

Buy online at the Lowest Amazon.com Prices below to support this time consuming review or bookmark this page to refer back, thank you!

The different horse powers, between 18.5 HP and 27 HP are only part of the range of possibilities as a users advantage, from cutting widths between 42 to 66, each with more power, the user chooses the model that most suites his or her needs.

The more power, the more grass and other mulchable yard debris, can be better dealt with at any given time, and most homesteaders looking to take care of that vast acreage themselves, needs the kind of tool that they can rely on.

Not always is bigger necessarily better, especially for smaller yards with flat terrain, which is why there are five different sizes of the same tool available.

Ready for the stats? All the tractors in this series except for the Cut Zero, come with a Briggs and Stratton V Twin Engine, Twin Eaton commercial grade hydrostatic transaxles, ergonomic steering handles, 0 to 6 mph, high performance mulch/discharge blades, anti-scalp rollers, 8 cutting settings from 1,5 to 5, easy access belt components, dual two-gallon gas tanks, pivoting front axle for leveling, electronic blade engage control, spring assisted deck lift, easy access components, large rear tires, turf-friendly front tires, high-back seat with armrests, adjustable leg room, easy to use parking break, standard hour meter and a welded deck constructed of 11 gauge steel!

Most of the tractors in the Swisher Zero series, weigh between 875 and 950 lbs, while the most basic 42 model, weighs only 680lbs, doing the full range of work done with the average mower, in one quarter of the time.

The Swisher Zero Turn Radius Tractors come in five sizes, 66, 60, 52, 50 and 42, making the work around any landscape, all that more self-reliant, keeping the yard clean and smooth, all year round.

Related:
Check out a Video of a Zero Turn Radius Mower in action then revist the cool widget above to see all the Swishers at best online prices, shipped right to your door! (sound like a sales pitch? it is!!)

Many customers today, for example, are looking for a more environmentally friendly approach, to their lawns and although marketing the idea is a lot easier than actually doing it, to make a lawn care business successful in this decade, we need to think globally while acting locally.

This extension of gardening is truly an art form, one that can be taken beyond the simply complexities of healthy and suitable soil, into the realm of ecology and understanding the nature of each connection, from the tiniest beneficial bacteria to the largest of trampling paperboys.

Taking advantage of our nations heritage through dedicated learning and humble understanding, will save both time and money as well as good and honest hard work, providing the home with that lush, green, renewable symbol of freedom and liberty for all with an image that is both clean and beautiful; one that clients will be proud of.

From teaching the reader about customer relations, money, advertising, marketing, initial capital, licensing, finding clients and even building assets to tools, renovation, bidding, estimates, pest control, disorders, lawn installation, mowing and proper soil fertilization, Lawn Care and Gardening sees soil as the potential to create beauty that identifies with the homeowner and makes you decent money with something you truly love.

This 220-page paperback, written by Kevin Rossi, illustrated by Lee Weisman, published by Acton Circle in March 1994, measuring 10.8 x 8.5 x 1 and shipping at 1.4 pounds.

Lawn Care and Gardening is a what works, practical book to those with the dream of their own start-up business in yard maintenance, to complete understanding of the art form itself from advertising to digging in and getting dirty; inspiring competent professionals with the knowledge of the time proven, to the insight to find what will work best for the future, starting right now.

Sustainability goes deep into the necessities of our country, and it starts with foreign oil, but from there it branches out until if finally hits us right in the stomach, with one of the vital essentials for human survival, food.

Once, not so long ago, it was common in this country to do what one had to do, to make sure that our children had food on the plate, even if the ration stamps were not enough. That was a time when our country could be easily confused with the ideals of a communist country. And what is wrong with being community-aware? Absolutely nothing is wrong with it.

Community efforts like painting parties or house building parties are not so far in our nations past, as it was just two generations ago that those kinds of community actions were commonplace, and we even called it help thy neighbor.

What keeps us from taking action on a community level for a global change that is desperately needed? Only ourselves.

Our lawns are a political statement of our independence from slavery and monarchy, but what about dedication to the planet we live on? The lawn could be a political statement for a more sustainable form of food production, by doing it ourselves, while thinking globally, yes, but acting locally.

We are all in this together, and while food sources come from outside the city, they generate tons of CO2 emissions each day, just to arrive at our local supermarkets, then from the market to our homes, even more greenhouse gases from our own cars, even if they are running off of CO2 neutral fuel sources like Biodiesel.

We need to stop the emission of CO2 all together, and produce our food sources as locally as possible, to revert the damage our blind industrialism and over-consumption has caused to the ozone layer.

Taking out the lawn and replacing it with an ecologically friendly source of herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables, will provide more than our family alone can eat, and the residents in our neighborhood will approach us with offers to take the excess into their own homes.

What about using those barren plots of land where nobody even built a house yet? Those empty lots that are still waiting to be developed can quickly become community kitchen gardens.

Are there people in your community that enjoy gardening? Make a plan with them, and together, you can start cultivating, little by little, a piece here and there, until people start to see what you are doing, as long as you make it clear WHY, sooner or later, more people will be interested, and a project is born.

This 344-page paperback, written by Heather C. Flores, published by Chelsea Green in October of 2006, measuring 9.9 x 8 x 0.9, ships at 1.6 pounds.

Food Not Lawns is a radical thinking book for those looking for a more sustainable way of life, in contempt of the political powers that be, pushing a community active approach to sustainable, local food sources that looks at consumption with a refreshing viewpoint we havent seen in this country since the second great war.

Sustainable techniques and solutions have been growing the more people get up the courage to actually take this market seriously, and producing regional food sources locally in the place of your garden is another eco-friendly alternative that presents itself as a trend.

If we exchange the traditional American lawn we inherited asa statement against the imperialistic control of mother England and as a statement to the abolishment of slavery, for a new statement against the onslaught of the greenhouse effect, we are choosing a noble cause, not forgetfulness.

The lawn should not be buried under a garden, a garden should be born of the lawn, and all those who gave their lives in the name of this countrys freedom, should be remembered always; in our own struggle to protect, what they died for…

Not everyone knows the reason America chooses to cultivate the lawn as part of its heritage in fighting slavery and imperialism of the feudal system, to most people the lawn is just the way they grew up.

The lawn was a statement the minute ex-slaves and the lower/middle classes began to do it themselves and the old Belle Air style plantations became defunct institutions of a time that needed to be rethought.

The lawn is our heritage, and our legacy to freedom and goodwill, now it is time that we transform it into a symbol of global salvation and sustainability for a future that is on its way to going ever-greener the more people take the path of courage our forefathers perished, believing in.

Edible Estates began on Independence day in 2005 with a regional prototype garden in Salina, Kansas and documents that transformation as well as the other three since then, from Lakewood, California to Maplewood, New Jersey to London, England.

This 128-page illustrated paperback, has a preface by Fritz Haeg and contributions from Diana Balmor, Rosalind Creasy, Michael Pollan, Lesley Stern, Michelle Christman, Stan Cox and Michael Foti, it was published by Metropolis Books in February of 2008, measuring 8.5 x 8.4 x 0.4 and it ships at 13.6 ounces.

Normally marked by a playground border, there are two popular alternatives to a muddy, grassy or sandy playground, wood mulch and rubber mulch.

Anybody who has tromped around in an overgrown public playground that looks like the grass has turned into a jungle, or where the pathways are usually so sloppy with muddy puddles that it’s impossible to keep from getting soaked or dirty up to the knees, has seen the worst case scenario; which is why a lot of the time, cities will make them from sand.

But if you have seen your babies legs totally flee bitten after playing in a public sandpit, or just the overall mess that it makes (especially getting sand in your shoes), not to mention the bigger kids that go flying around the playground area like wild animals, it really takes a lot for a mom or dad to get in there and be a kid too.

That is why people came up with the wood mulch and rubber mulch alternatives for playground areas; let those children play in the sandpit, who really want too, and try keeping animals out with a knee high fence, and presto, a more hygienic playground than originally mentioned but be aware that cats use sandboxes like they are litter boxes. There is little you can do to keep cats out other than covering the box when not in use.

Separating the spaces with sand in one part and the playground area in another is no new idea; in fact anyone who visits a traditional grass park will find there is almost always a sandpit or a playground border if they are not already one thing.

Rubber mulch or wood mulch depending on your preference, feel as good as grass or sand on the feet, with wood having a warm cozy sensation and rubber a bouncy one, but what really distinguishes the two from sand or grass are need and look.

Wood mulch will need to be replenished from time to time, especially depending on the depth, but as it is a renewable resource, it is generally seen as a more ecologically correct alternative to rubber since it actually replenishes the soil with nutrients after breaking down.

Rubber playground mulch is usually made from recycled tires, but the revolution comes with companies specialized in recycling, with new and improved colors, shapes and sizes of rubber mulch, from styles such as redwood and pine to brick and granite, or just plain old blue and green, there are a range of possibilities nowadays that make rubber mulch superior in many ways, not just looks, but life expectancy and excellent reuse of a waste material.

With those surfaces that already use a playground border, either wood or rubber mulch can just be applied right on top of whatever is already in use, with a 5/8 for good measure, offering a far more affordable alternative in terms of upkeep than grass, sand or wood mulch.

Laying down a rubber mulch is getting cheaper and cheaper, with this kind of approach, opening up a wider range of possibilities for playground surfaces at restaurants, zoos, office entrances, shopping malls, or even as swimming pool decks or nature trails; imagination is the key.

Rubber Mulch Safety Concern

There is a safety concern about some rubber mulch leaching zinc into the soil which could harm plants and pollute water though it appears that the breakdown takes many years (25 or more) to occur. For a path, walk or playground cover, recycled rubber mulch is a good solution. If you are not connected to city water you also might want to study this further. See the CPSC guidelines (adobe .pdf file) which states:

Shredded Tires: No impact attenuation tests have been conducted by CPSC on these materials. The size of the particles and the method by which they are produced may vary from one manufacturer to another. Therefore, consumers seeking to install such materials as a protective surfacing should request test data from the supplier showing the critical height of the material when tested in accordance with ASTM F1292. In addition, a guarantee should be obtained from the supplier that the material is free from steel wires or other contaminants.

Recycled rubber mulch is simply superior in playground architecture today, because it will not break down over time, it may take at least 200 years for a single layer of rubber to decompose without chemical assistance, suffocating unwanted vegetation and keeping maintenance down to a minimum.

People can stomp over rubber playground mulch for decades and decades, and that stuff isnt going to cost a cent to upkeep, plus, its bouncy, looks cool, does the job of providing a nice place to tumble on and best of all, it is made from stuff our society throws away.

So if you are looking for a sustainable approach to playground mulch, the big two alternative playground surfaces to grass and sand are made from wood mulch (for those looking to do regular upkeep and replenish the soil nutrients) and rubber mulch (for those looking to never do hardly any upkeep and still look good decade after decade).

Keeping our future sustainable starts with our children, and playground mulch could be their fist lessons, taking action is your choice, today.

Cutting up landscape debris, such as putting branches and leaves or dry grass clippings through a chipper, can be called mulching, but this process is more often used in creating a more efficient C/N ratio for the compost pile and eventually a more efficient soil amendment than it is in being directly used as a mulch per-say.

Therefore, what is mulch? Mulch can be a layer of plastic, gravel, sand, white clay, fine sawdust, wood chips, mulched landscape refuse even half-done compost, basically, anything that keeps weeds, moisture and nutrients in the ground near the roots of the plants you are looking to grow in your garden bed, mulch is nutrient protection from the surface elements.

Mulching organic materials to compost means to shred them up, yes, and has become very much a bit of a trend in the US as of late, especially to use the word openly in hardware stores to sound astute; but applying mulch to the garden, does not mean putting compost humus or even half-done compost directly into the soil around the plants, this is applying amendment to the soil, to enhance nutrients and growth, not preserve nutrients.

These are two very different concepts completely; mulch is to preserve nutrients and compost is to enhance nutrients.

The shredding or mulching process makes decomposition or composting quicker, allowing microorganisms to get to the breakdown stages more efficiently while composting carbons and nitrogens into a fine black humus that is nutrient rich in all the things plants need to grow big and strong.

The role of mulch is to protect those same nutrients that plants need, and usually, the surface is a rather wild place, that can rip nutrients away quickly, and while mulch made of half done compost will tend to continue breaking down under the surface, eventually becoming soil additive, that is not the initial use when applied to the surface.

Any mulch made from organic refuse, such as wood chips, sawdust or half-done compost, are sure to continue the composting process, while acting as a protective layer, but once their service as a protective layer has come to an end, and they broken down so much that they are ready to become a soil amendment, a new layer of mulch is then required.

This process of replacing mulch, over and over, is one of the reasons why many people choose to use sheets of plastic and other non-organic substances as mulch, as it still acts as a protective layer for the nutrients, but doesnt ever breakdown and become soil amendment.

What is mulch? Mulch is any substance that is used to create a protective layer across the surface of the garden, keeping nutrients in the ground, near the plant roots, while compost is nutrient rich soil amendment, that plants need to enhance their growth and stay happier throughout the season.

Related Website:
The Compost Bin - Learn about composting.

External Links:
Mulch Calculator - How much mulch do you need for yor landscape?
Mulching Trees and Shrubs - via NC State University

There are two basic models of chipper shredders that Troy Bilt makes, the lightweight 2 capacity (model CS4265) and the heavy-duty 3 capacity (model CS4310).

Troy-Bilt has been making fine quality yard equipment since as early as 1937, and since that time, they have continually shown their worth with machines that do the job, time and time again, for years at a time, with one enduring consistency; trust.

Their Chipper Shredders will either chip or shred any organic materials up to capacity, down ten times the size, leaving a small organized pile of mulch, which is perfect for using as carbon base to add to green grass in a compost pile, or just spread across the garden between plants to help keep nutrients and moisture near the roots of the plants where they belong, while smothering weeds.

Current Troy Bilt Chipper Shredders

Model CS4310 - The 3 comes with a one-gallon fuel tank and a 305cc Briggs and Stratton OHV Engine with 14.5 ft-lbs of gross torque.

Model CS4265 - The 2 comes with a three-quart fuel tank and a 205cc Briggs and Stratton OHV Engine with 8.5 ft-lbs of gross torque.

Both of these two in one steel upright chipper shredders have a two way feed drop in hopper plus a dedicated chipper chute, reducing at a ratio of 10:1, feature two chromium steel chipper knives, twelve replaceable cast steel flails, have a five bushel collection capacity, come with a tow bar, 10 x 4 pneumatic tires, a two year limited warranty.

Troy-Bilt Chipper Shredders take care of the heaviest of yard chores, and make mole hills out of mountains, quickly chipping and shredding all those piles and piles of branches and leaves that fall on your yard, into a fine layer of mulch for the garden or into a great mixture for improving the productivity of your soil.

Both the quality and quantity of water being used are important factors today in a world where green trends are slowly taking over, and drip irrigation is one of the most efficient forms of both conserving water and making sure that plants get exactly the amount of quality water they need, directly at the roots.

What makes drip irrigation so useful is that it applies very slow amounts of water either directly at the roots (sometimes as much as four inches below the surface) or directly at the plant basin; drop by drop, so that all the water is consumed by the soil, avoiding unwanted evaporation into the atmosphere.

Each technique that uses drip irrigation should be designed specifically for the location and soil type available, so that in the instance of a very clay prominent soil for example, drip irrigation systems could be much more labor intensive and require far more planning than in a softersoil for example.

Subsurface drip irrigation has shown more and more promise in the recovery and reforestation of extremely arid regions where evaporation is a serious challenge to agriculture or gardening and marks its presence as another sustainable technology trend for 2008.

Extremely arid and sandy soil locations for example depend on slower rates of drip than most systems, and the subsurface drip irrigation in such places can almost be compared to hydroponic techniques but without the traditional recycling of the water, adding water and nutrients directly at the roots in an almost non-nutrient holding media substrate.

It has been observed that such modern subsurface drip irrigation was used with clay piping as early as 1860 in Germany, blending drainage and irrigation systems.

The biggest challenge to this drip system however is the quality of the water being used in irrigation, as even water from the city waterworks, can come with impurities or more importantly, unwanted particles that can cause clogging of the emitters.

The emitters are responsible for making sure this system works properly, injecting drops of water at exactly the proper location and at exactly the proper rate/pressure/quantity.

Drip irrigation uses a pressurized system with extremely efficient water filtration devices to avoid emitter clogging (the weakest link in this system), with backwash controllers as well as often including a fertigation system that mixes liquid fertilizer directly with the irrigation water.

This system can save up to 95% on the amount of fertilizer used and up to 90% on the amount of water used.

Drip irrigation systems can be extremely high-tech or extremely low-tech and have been observed to exist historically, as a form of water management among human civilizations for thousands of years.

The most prominent advance in this area however, occurred only after WWII with the increased industrialized use of non-biodegradable plastics.

The invention of emitter technology by Simcha Blass in 1959 with longer, larger passageways that use friction to slow water inside the emitter was the first successful experimental use of what is now modern drip irrigation technology.

The invent of plastics made hosing, piping and emitter technologies far more versatile for certain, but controls on pumps and valves that register flow rates or quantities of used water also make management and water conservation far more efficient than they ever have been in aeons past.

Drip irrigation has been showing itself as a new trend in home gardening as well, not merely for the convenience offered, but also for the more ecological correctness that it suggests, opening awareness and making sure that plants receive both better water quality as well as precise quantities, at the precise location they most need them, directly at the roots; conserving water and upping yields for a more productive and environmentally friendly tomorrow.

Drip irrigation is just one more way for humans to blend the fascination of their technologies with the harmony of Natures miracle, building a more sustainable future today.

Media:
Tutorials and information on drip irrigation - Includes videos of drip irrigation basics.

Not much more than a meadow in the garden of a castle, of wild flowers and herbs, growing closely together, or wild grass constantly grazed by animals and livestock such as sheep, became similar to what we know today as lawns, all over Maritime Europe.

It was with the end of the war of the roses and the rise of the Tudor Dynasty, that the English lawn became a place to be loved and admired.

English Renaissance Queen, Elizabeth I, or the Virgin Queen was fond of her own gardens, which displayed large portions of well-scythed and manually labored lawns.

Upon settling Virginia, great expenses were made by the British landowners to keep their own New English lawns on par with their native England; an exclusive gardening aspect of only wealthy estates.

Virginia survived due to the plantation of tobacco, which became a habit in England during the rule of King James, allowing these original American lawns to flourish in a very closely cut fashion, much like those of the Jacobean gardening era.

A symbol of status and power, the Jacobean style of gardening with closely cut and manually kept lawns became the envy of European gentry and set the stage for what would later evolve into our own American obsession.

The innovative English architect, William Kent from Yorkshire, created a style of landscape gardening that had never before been seen, by combining his love for the Palladian style with natural gardening techniques he created the English Landscape Garden design which seemed to flow out from the garden and into the landscape.

The most renown English Landscape Gardener was Lancelot Brown Capability Brown (Kents most accomplished protégé), who designed over 170 different parks, many of which can still be enjoyed today and are the keystone to understanding what direction American lawns took during the first half of the 19^th century.

While in France and Italy, the lawn had become smaller and smaller, taking up less and less space in the garden, the American lawn continued to expand in the fashion of William Kent until the civil war, with American landowners becoming ever more arrogant in their own aristocratic games of pomp and exploit, using their expansive lawns as status symbols that in many cases rivaled their English counterparts.

The civil war was very hard on American English Landscape Gardening, and in most cases, completely wiped out whatever remnants of the old aristocracy had remained. A decent exception is the White House lawn, which is a nice example of what these pre-civil war lawns looked like.

Rabbits, horses, sheep and other livestock would graze in the forests of Medieval England to form tight swards, much like our modern lawn today, but the American climate proved unsuitable for English grass seed, and remained a gardening fashion economically restricted to the wealthy, slave and plantation owners until the 1870s when the mass production of push-mowers (an idea that had been around since as early as 1830) finally became available to the pubic at large.

Written by the groundskeeper at Bostons Fenway Park, David Mellor, a man who has been through it all and knows the ropes, he explains not only how to keep a lawn green but more importantly when to do what.

Be it fertilizer, weed killer, mowing, sod, aeration, watering, planting, weeding, feeding or troubleshooting, The Lawn Bible comes with anecdotes, illustrations and tips for even the most varied lawn conditions.

Full shade, full sun or just in between; keeping your grass green and healthy is just a matter of thinking like a lawn.

Winning the war on disease, pests and weeds, the mechanics and artistry of mowing, the perfect combinations of good sun, good seed, good soil and teaching children to be yard friendly will all make your lawn both the most beautiful in the neighborhood as well as the most child friendly around, and Lawn Bible shows how!

This 288 page paperback was first published in April of 2003 by Hyperion Books, measures 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.7 and ships at 1.3 lbs.

Scientific information, tips and general guidelines, no matter where you live in the USA, The Lawn Bible: How to Keep It Green, Groomed, and Growing Every Season of the Year will help you find a solution to your situation, and teach you how to become the lawn master of your own estate in a fun and catchy language that allows you to get the right idea the first time around.

The Lawn Bible shows how to keep any lawn, in any condition, the greenest in the neighborhood, all year round.

While the profession of medical doctors is all about disease and ever so little about health, Trey Rogers PhD in Agronomy the writer of Lawn Geek and the doctor on YardSmarts.com is all about keeping your lawn healthy.

Prevention over intervention is the key, but when worse comes to worse, Lawn Geek teaches how to intervene, where to act, how to act and in what scale.

This is a scientific approach to the art of raising grass plants and really shows what grass is to an agronomist, a part of the earth that keeps a calculated balance between water and minerals in a fascinating dance of life.

A 352 page paperback published by NAL Trade in March of 2007, measuring 9 x 5.6 x 1 and shipping at 4 ounces; Lawn Geek: Tips and Tricks for the Ultimate Turf From the Guru of Grass is a scientific approach to the healthy garden, ending myth in search of perfection.

Keeping a nice lawn is part of our American Heritage, from the days of the first English settlers to the here and now.

Lawn Geek is a book that clarifies what our civilization already knows about grass, how you can make your lawn a more attractive addition to your own home, for a more ecologically friendly tomorrow that really understands this amazing plant that is so a part of our lives; glorious grass.

So what goes into keeping you yard beautiful? There are techniques and there are proven methods; myths about equipment, how to solve problems, aeration, watering, mowing, fertilizing and seeding properly will all encompass the vast array of knowledge offered in this do-it-yourself manual for lawn keeping.

This book is about how the best name in Lawn care keeps their lawns looking good, how Scotts Lawns stay beautiful, all year round and that kind of knowledge is priceless, especially in a world where respect and love for the land has been scarce over the decades.

Scotts brings back what our people seem to have lost somewhere in the rush to get through the drive-through; keeping it real, and keeping us real while getting back to what it means to be American.

This 192 page paperback was written by Nick Christians, Ashton Ritchie and Scotts, first published in February of 2002 by Scotts, measures 11 x 8.1 x 0.6and ships at 1.4 ounces, answering all the basic questions the first-time lawn owner has about keeping the lawn perfect.

Does perfection exist? Perhaps a new definition of perfection is at hand, one that states how we as average people strive to ever-higher levels of excellence, in constant and everlasting search for perfection, in a world that is only now learning the power, of globalization.

Scotts Lawns: Your Guide to a Beautiful Yard, is one more step in the direction of that perfection, taking the aesthetics of lawn care seriously with regard to the planet and cities we dwell within, helping us to heal ourselves and learning, just that much more, how to be stewards of the land we truly love with our hearts.

Official Website:
Scotts

Wherever you can drive your ATV or lawn tractor, this 44-inch cutting trail mower will follow, taking down whatever gets in the way with ease.

Interested in watching a video of the Swisher Tailmower in use? Check it out here

Swisher is committed to the rancher and homesteader; and this trail mower is their specialty, looking ahead at your field before it has even been cut, predicting all the improvements you intend to make.

The 10.5 HP Briggs & Stratton gas powered Engine does all the work of cutting with heavy steel construction, exclusive bumper roller system, rugged and wide tires that reduce the tendency to create ruts, allowing the 44-inch deck to do its job effectively.

If you want to reduce your mowing time on absurdly large plots of land, this is the perfect item, keeping your fields open and clean in just one or two hours depending on the size and terrain.

From as low to the ground as you want to up to six inches high for grazing animals, there is a single point height adjustment, easy left-to-right offset hitch (ditches and low-hanging trees) and anti-scalp rollers to protect tree roots and shrubs, all measuring 80 x 33 x 31 and shipping at 375lbs.

Swisher 44 Inch Trailmower was built by folks who care, folks that are servant to their customers, shepherd of their employees and stewards of their company, looking to one day be the very best on the market.

The Swisher 44 Inch Trailmower will make taking down even the largest fields of grass or ruggedest of terrain, as simple as getting on your ATV and going for a spin.

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Interested in buying the Swisher Swisher 60-Inch 14.5 HP Trailmower?

If you have a lawn that is always being trampled on, this is the thing to own, especially if you have your own sports field on a homestead, reminiscent of Field of Dreams or look to produce something productive and healthy for the rural community you live in; in the end, its all about sustainability.

With sixty inches, this lawn roller gets the job done sooner and even more so if you use your own ATV or lawn tractor, weighing 170 pounds with an additional 40 gallons of water is not only tough to pull by hand, it is only for the extreme lawn care enthusiast (or group of enthusiasts) who really take(s) pride in their own sports field, because this dandy uses no less than a sixteen horse power engine to be towed.

Playing soccer, rugby, American football, baseball, golf or any other field sport that demands runners have a good solid and flat field means that you almost definitely are going to be using a lawn roller name brand that you can trust to do the job, every season, for decades to come.

Black powder coat finish, rugged all-steel construction, 64 overall inch width, with 60 inch roll-drag width and perfect for any lawn tractor above 16 horses, Swisher strives to be the best, and this lawn roller is one more step in that direction.

Make sure the lawn is not too wet, or this will leave serious ruts in what you really want to be smooth, so just wait a couple of days after it pours down really hard and seed before rolling; Swisher 60 Inch Lawn Roller will do the rest for you, keeping the lawn strong, green and flat for the upcoming sports season.

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Whatever the reason you want to keep you lawn healthy, using the Swisher Spike Aerator will penetrate the ground; up to two and a half inches deep, placing you in control of the soil and not weeds.

The drum comes with 78 spikes, each one is 2.75 long, the barrel itself weighs 122 lbs and can be filled with up to 24 gallons of water for a really heavy load.

When placed on its side, the Spike Aerator is 40 wide, making larger fields a snap to aerate in less than a few hours depending on the size of the field, the terrain and how slow you drive.

This spiked tow drum needs to be towed with at least a 12 HP engine and usually makes mole hills or uneven terrain go flat with a single pass, making sure your field is suitable for recreational purposes.

Measuring 42.8 x 19.5 x 19.5 and shipping at 122 pounds, the Swisher Spike Aerator does the job you need done and will last for decades, without any wear or tear.

Homesteaders and those looking for a little more sustainability will find the Swisher Spike Aerator makes it easy andefficient to add nutrient rich humus, seeds and water closer to the roots of your field, allowing for a better, stronger, healthier grass this upcoming sports season.

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Swisher Brush Cutter has 24 inches of cutting space, that is really low to the ground, takes on pretty much anything from leaves and twigs to that nasty in-rooted underbrush that refuses to be yanked from the soil.

The time tested Briggs & Stratton Engine has a four-speed transmission that is self-propelled and a single 11-gauge steel blade that is fixed in place and hardened for a better, more reliable cut.

This is what professional homesteaders use when they need to keep their nature trails clear and cleanly kept without all the fuss and fuss everyday.

For forest regions, this is perfect, because it feeds trees and plants the kind of CO2 they need to grow strong and endure the years. If you need this machine, don’t worry about making an ecological footprint, because it is sure to only make life just that much more sustainable around your home, your backyard forest and your back will thank you.

60.5 x 32.5 x 31 and weighing 350 pounds, this brush cutter by Swisher comes with one-year guarantee.

Climbing or cruising, the pneumatic tires will take on even the roughest terrain and still cut as if through butter while safety deflectors keep flying debris away both in the front and sides, it even has a reverse mode for getting out of dead-ends.

So if you have forest or similar terrain that demands a quality cut, but lawn mowers wont do the trick, Swisher Predator 24-Inch Brush Cutter was built for excellence, with an engine that has proven its worth, time and time again.

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Watch a Video of the Swisher Predator in action.

The easy stride mechanism is what does all the magic and the Honda GCV 160 engine makes for a powerful cutting capacity that takes down even wet lawns to the smallest fraction of an inch.

The quick-stow lever takes just one step for 90-degrees and another for a full 180-degree collapsible storage that folds the back right in with it.

Just walk at your own speed, let the lawn mower do all the pushing and pulling going up-hill and suddenly this Lawn-Boy turns into one of the lightest yet most powerful lawn mowers on the market.

And all this, just because the unique lawn mower drives itself, no heaving unnecessarily, especially recommended for those looking to work smarter, not harder, getting the most out of modern technology.

Lawn-Boy Gold Series Self-Propelled Mower was designed to make life easier, in a moment, when doing things right the first time is important, and self-reliance is a must for todays patriot. Let this All-American brand name serve you

Soft comfort grips, easy-stride, quick-stow, 3-in-1 standard mulch, side discharge, bagging and a 2-year full warranty makes this Lawn-Boy Gold Series Self-Propelled Mower designed to fit you.

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Poulan Self-Propelled Mower is a three-in-one design that mulches, side-discharges and bags grass or underbrush with the same timing and precision every time, year after year, season after season.

This is a 21 blade powered by a Briggs and Stratton engine with a self-propulsion front wheel drive system that allows you to keep on mowing all day without even breaking a sweat; its like taking the dog for a walk and just as quiet.

Poulan Pro Self-Propelled Mower model number #PR65Y21RDP has variable speed system that allows you to set your own pace, over flat or hilly terrain as your lawn layout so demands, without any extra energy spent on your part.

Poulan Self-Propelled Mower comes with a 2-year warranty, but is sure to last you for decades, if well kept and the blades only need sharpening once every five years or so.

Measuring only 37 x 22.8 x 23.8and shipping at 86 pounds, Poulan Self-Propelled Mower takes itself walking, cutting grass, twigs and leaves for your garden compost in the traditional and efficient manner you have been looking for; Poulan Pro is both Torque and Power that drives itself, in one elegant design that will still be working thirty years from now!

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Lawn mowing with a highly-tuned gas powered push mower is soon to be as antiquated as the push reel mower was about a decade ago and the only place you will find lawn mowers like the Poulan Push Mower will be museums, so the time to get one is now, before they are gone forever.

This Briggs & Stratton 500 series is 185CC, with power and torque that clear the path from even the tallest grasses, helping you sweat and gain muscle as a good lawn mowing job should, making raking almost a thing of the past, as well as unwanted body fat.

The 21 cutting deck is stamped stainless steel that will last year after year, for seasons to come starting with a two-year consumer warranty that is based on reliability in the field and long lasting durability that consumers have come to trust.

This rear bag/mulching 2-N-1 push mower by Poulan model number (#PO500N21RH) has a rear mounted bag, making grass collection more efficient and maneuverability easier, with 7 front wheels and 12 rear wheels that come with five position fingertip height adjusters, for a cleaner and safer cut all-around.

Folding handles and easy assembly, oil is included in the carton with this package that measures 33.2 x 17 x 24 and weighs 70.2 pounds during shipping.

Poulan Push Mower keeps your body healthy with the kind of workout you have been looking for while taking down even the tallest and wettest of lawns on some of the hilliest or mole ridden lawns in the neighborhood; great for teenagers looking forsome extra cash in the summer months and to build some muscle at the same time with the sweet smell of freshly cut grass that does the soul some good.

Poulan Push Mower makes any lawn look good and will keep on performing at optimum levels, for decades to come, no matter how good you want to look.

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Going electric is the future, it means taking a more globally responsible step towards gardening and taking care of the lawn as you always have; Worx 18v Hedge Trimmer is that kind of responsibility that still gets the job done.

The blade extends 20 inches with a dual action for reducing vibration and a smooth cut.

The soft overmold grip with quick release handle, make it both safe and comfortable to use.

With a thirty-day manufacturers warranty, an 18-volt battery pack, full blade length storage guard, wall mount and storage rack, Worx 18v Hedge Trimmer is complete.

Worx 18v hedge trimmer, model number WG250 has a 9/16 cutting diameter, weighs 12.8 lbs, charges in one hour and makes your life, just that much more sustainable, reducing your carbon footprint and still getting that same job done, month after month, no matter how much those branches grow.

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For the household of today, looking for an edge on those increasing electric bills, 13 amps, might just be the solution, as long as your lawn is the smooth urban kind, well kept and cared for.

Worx likes to build case specific solutions like this 13 amp electric lawn mower with a 16 cutting blade that adjusts from ¾ to 2 ¾ and comes with a one-hand mechanism for easy driving.

The ergonomic handle reduces fatigue and the user friendly aspect extends to the grass box, which collects up to 13 gallons of clippings and has a viewing window to keep better track of your emptying. It even has a mulching tool.

The foldable handle makes for more compact storage, using 120 volts at 60 Hz, 3500rpm and 13 amps, you get less energy consumption with the kindof torque the average urban lawn needs to keep itself well kept without causing outrageous electric bills and still doing good for the environment.

Worx electric lawn mower is perfect for small storage spaces and small lawns, lightweight, energy efficient and a more sustainable solution for a more sustainable nation.

Land of the brave and home of the free Worx electric lawn mower makes it possible to be more environmentally correct in a time, when our Earth is facing its most difficult moment.

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Most people looking for a handheld leaf and debris blower are looking for power, simplicity and something environmentally friendly, Toro Power Sweep Electric Blower is all that in one package; using an extension cord (50 or 100) to draw 140 mph of air force at 149-cfm.

Two speeds, 7 amp motor with lightweight, durable plastic body, a cord-locking system and an extra handle with ergonomic grip; the Toro Power Sweep rids you of those deadly CO2 emissions once and for all.

Power Sweep Electric leaf blower weighs five-pounds and comes with a two-year warranty (the extension cord is not included).

For getting rid of debris and dried leaves from your walkway, driveway or lawn, Toro Power Sweep Electric Blower is an ecologically correct way to do as much as you need done around the house within 100 ft of an electrical outlet.

Toro Power Sweep Electric Blower knows how to make leaf blowing fun and powerful, all in one eco-friendly sweeper that makes life cleaner, easier.

With a 21 steel deck, simple set handle and easy stow quick release lever, this Law Boy Insight Self Propelled Mower will fit into some of the tightest spots of the shed.

Season after season, generation after generation, Lawn Boy is always coming back to do the same quality job as when it was first manufactured.

The standard padded grip handle comes with adjustable height, for operators of different heights (a pre-teen favorite), and the easy turn wheels can be easily adjusted to cut between 1 to 4 inches with a manual lever.

The 86 pounds is not even felt while the Insight series tugs itself along in one of three different cutting modes including rear bag, mulch and side discharge (3-n-1).

The easy lift Hi-Vac bagging system is really easy on the back, for those who enjoy leaving the lawn nice and clean after every mow, while at the same time collecting composting materials (greens).

Mulching, will leave an exquisitely fine layer of grass between blades, that compost and organically fertilize your lawn.

Side discharge will spread the grass clippings evenly over the top of the lawn for sun drying or later raking as desired.

Lawn Boy Insight Self Propelled Mower makes mowing the lawn an almost spiritual experience, as it takes all the muscular strain out of lawn mowing, starting electrically, cutting cleanly, closely and even bagging/mulching/side discharge as desired for more comfort.

Lawn Boy Insight Self Propelled Mower does the job of titans, even used by preadolescents or the physically challenged to mow more lawn with less energy, in a fun and timeless American way.

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This reel mower sharpening kit comes with automotive valve-grinding compound, application brush and a back-lapping crank that cuts down on mowing time and most of all, is fun to use.

Instead of using a file and eye-balling it, the SK-1 makes getting the perfect blade with a perfect cut as simple as cranking the blades backwards for several minutes until the compound changes color.

Straightforward and long lasting (maybe up six or seven sharpening), Reel Mower Sharpening Kit SK-1 from American Lawn Mower allows you to be more self-reliant for a tomorrow that teaches us the need for sustainability.

ALMC reel mower designs 1705-16 and 1815-18 are the push mowers that work with the SK-1 (shipping at 13.6 ounces and weighing 1.7 lbs).

Sharpening your own push-reel mower with Reel Mower Sharpening Kit #SK-1 puts the magic back into lawn care and the power in your hands.

Model GH164-PD uses two different sizes of hose the 5/8 will extend 150 while the ¾ will extend only 100 (as it is thicker and heavier, for filling the pool for example).

Reaching maximum temperatures of up to 140 degrees F or pressure up to 100 PSI, Rapid Reel wall hose reel can use even hot water from a passive solar house if need be the case, with a warranty of 10 years.

Mounting to almost any vertical surface, including 16 stud, wood posts, steel beams or even masonry, the rugged metal construction, innovative braking system, no-leak solid brass swivel, durable power coat finish, break-resistant crank handle, industrial grade inlet hose perpendicular action and ultra-easy assembly, make the RapidReel Triton a pioneer in the area.

Measuring 21.5 x 18.1 x 16.1, weighing 14 lbs and shipping at 16 lbs, this rugged die-cast aluminum is 100% rustproof; made for easy assembly and installation anywhere, for a tomorrow that takes care of gardening and lawn care in a more sustainable, energy conservational way.

Taupe beige is the color of this automatic hose reel (model number PW100) that measures 20″ W x 18″ D x 22″ H, ships from Amazon at 30 lbs and includes an extended crank handle for reeling in up to 100 feet worth of garden or lawn hose instantly.

No more bending over and manually backbreaking windup is necessary with Powerwind Hose Reel as the 12-Volt SLA rechargeable battery (charging unit included) does all the hard work for you.

Tangles and messes with the hose are also quick work with Powerwind, which like most Suncast reels, this one comes with the Smart Trak hose guide that keeps even up to 100 feet of hose into a tight and neatly arranged reel without any knots or kinks.

If the battery backup fails, or your power grid is under maintenance, the manual crank still does the same job it has always done and the liftable lid makes hose access more convenient.

With two stakes to secure your Suncast Powerwind to the ground and the tilt-out storage bin, weight and leverage give your automatic rechargeable hose reel the anchor it needs to get the job done instantly without tossing or jarring.

Suncast Powerwind Hose Reel comes fully assembled from retailers and replacement parts can be found with the manufacturer Suncast Corp, for a brighter and better thinking tomorrow that thinks harder and works smarter; just for you.

Scotts 20-inch is a push reel mower that comes with 10-inch dual tracking wheels and rugged radial tires for a more stable cut in those taller grasses.

With nine grass heights to choose from between 1 and 3 inches the manual quick-snap height adjuster makes it simple without any effort.

This mower includes five heat-treated steel blades, composite wheels and an easy to grip handle for ideal performance that mixes the best of today with the best of yesterdays high performance lawn cutting technologies.

Scotts 20-inch push reel mower comes with a two-year warranty and with the simple straight forward design, will only need sharpening once every five years or so, with maybe a need for repair once every two decades or so; these are a hardy class of lawn mower.

No electricity, exercise inducing, sustainable technology that is quiet against the neighbors ears and is healthier than a rotary mower clipping instead of de-rooting the grass.

Rotor mowers tend to rip at the roots, thereby leaving the ground susceptible to disease or unwanted pests.

Scotts 20-Inch Push Reel Mower is a reel mower that does the job of an ordinary gasoline guzzler without the ecological footprints (only your foot prints in the lawn after passing over) with this nice reel mower.

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Different from the scarecrow of Oz, this motion-activated sprinkler shoots out a blast of between two and three cups of faucet water in the direction of the uninvited guest; really getting the job done in a courageous and ethical manner.

Once, twice, three times, sooner or later, those nocturnal and daytime critters such as deer, raccoons, heron, dogs, cats possums, or whatever will learn that there is scarecrow that means business on your lawn.

No chemicals or unsightly barriers, ScareCrow motion-activated sprinkler automatically conserves water and energy by only activating when there is motion within 1200 square feet.

Operating on a single nine-volt battery for up to six months, the ScareCrow can even be mounted on a fence, post, wall, planter or even the top of a conventional straw scarecrow, with a mounting bracket (optional) that holds it in place high in the air (more for birds, bats and other flying creatures).

Black and yellow, Contech Electronics model number CRO101 measures 24 x 7 x 2.5 inches, weighs 1.4 lbs and comes with a two-year limited warranty; shipping at 1.7 pounds total.

With a 35 deep and 45wide 100-degree sensor detection zone, your water or earth garden, lawn or orchard will remain safe from even the cutest of sneaky bunny rabbits teaching them in a proactive and humane manner, to find other places to nibble and eat.

ScareCrow motion-activated sprinkler is made by Contech Electronics, a company that cares about educating natures citizens about human territory in a healthy and environmentally sustainable fashion that everyone understands.

Weed Hound pulls weeds out quickly and easily with a simple foot stab from standing position, removing weeds from the roots, every time, aerating soil for a healthier lawn or garden.

Getting at the roots of weeds with a unique plunger design made of durable steel construction, the tempered steel tines are guaranteed to work and last, season after season.

A bag and clip are included in this long-handled manual de-weeder, with a limited lifetime warranty.

Measuring 34.8 x 2.2 x 8.2 and shipping at 4.4 lbs, not even six inches of crab grass will withstand the Weed Hound.

Thinking smarter and not harderis the rule for those who think sustainably and Weed Hound is a low-tech way to make better use of your time while doing your gardening or lawn maintenance; allowing you to do more work with less energy and getting rid of weeds once and for all!

Along with the batteries, this lightweight electric rechargeable lawn mower weighs a total of 39 lbs, with a 24-volt power system that uses two standard 12 volt 7Ah SLA for more power and a longer mow-time.

This rechargeable reel mower, model number EM2 from Sunlawn blends the best of the old with the best of the new including a 7 blade contact free cutting system that has been flame hardened bearing mounted blades.

A 16 swath and .4-2.25 height of cut, this rechargeable reel mower will cut any grass in North America and the nine inch wheel diameter make whole fields of overgrown grass bay easily to the grass catcher (great compost material).

The foam grip and segmented rear roller allow for more comfort while the two-year warranty play tribute to the honesty of Sunlawn.

Sunlawn electric rechargeable reel mower allows you to do less work with the same result as a hand-pushed with an entire hour to take care of even the largest field grasses automatically.

The strong ABS deck is formed with a space age look, like that of a Transformer protecting the 10-amp motor from the elements and the human ear from unwanted noise pollution.

Bully Lawnpup uses an electric cord, cuts at three positions, adjusting from ¾ to 2 ½ and comes with a grass catcher for quick and easy bagging or composting as desired, with no need to rake up after mowing.

The high lift hardened steel blades pull thatch, debris and grass with precision and this lightweight electric lawn mower puts the fun back into doing the lawn, with clean, ozone healthy grid-electricity.

Lawnpup does the job of a Hercules (with an Optimus Prime fashion sense), keeping your lawn cut clean and pristine throughout all the four seasons.

Bully Lawnpup 13-Inch Electric Lawn Mower ships at 36 pounds total and comes with a two-year warranty, the perfect tool for those looking to revitalize their lawn and renew their hopes in a better tomorrow.

This electric rear bag mower by yard machine can also serve as a mulcher, producing extremely fine grass clippings when using the deep dome feature or simply bagged and used as compost material.

Like all of the Yard Machines lawn mowers, this electric rear bag mower is no exception for excellence, using a 1500 W, 12-amp electric motor, 19-inch cutting deck and 9-position fingertip height control.

Measuring 31 x 22 x 15 and shipping at 66 pounds, this electric lawn mower by Yard Machines does two excellent jobs in one; just one more step into the future of lawn maintenance.

For quiet, lightweight performance that is environmentally friendly, with zero CO2 emissions, Yard Machines Electric Rear Bag Mower requires no maintenance and takes the years of use, season after season, for generations.

Made from sturdy plastic with metal legs that jut right into the ground, these pink flamingo lawn ornaments weigh 2.4 pounds per pair upon shipping and measure 30 inches high by 17 inches deep together.

Along with gnomes, mushrooms and ferry castles, the pink flamingo lawn ornament is one of the most popular gift items amongst those who revel in lawn keeping and occasional yard gardening.

This pink flamingo lawn ornament was made to inspire the imagination and refuel the spirit, enchanting our hearts in the magical realm of our own garden.