Well, it's summer time and it's so very very hot.  This has been one of the hottest summers we've had in a long time.  It's normal for grass to thrive and grow during the early and late spring.  And it's at those times when we cannot keep up with it's thick luscious growth.  Everybody wants a nice thick, lush, green lawn.  But what happens when summer hits, and temperatures rise?  Grass settles down and sometimes goes dormant.  Growing only a little week by week and heaven forbid it goes brown if we don't water.  This summer has been extremely stressful on our lawns.  They have been experiencing a great amount of stress while the heat is relentless and the sun fires down on it.  I'm glad for all the famers of Norfolk County and across Ontario, that we have had a few breaks in the heat and we'vefelt a few rains in the past ten days.  And I am very happy that lawns are greening up and growing a bit better now for JLC.  I see that rain is in the forcast again for this weekend, so fingers crossed that mother nature gives it to us! 

Jody and I have had a project all our own this summer.  We recently moved and creating and growing our lawn and gardens FROM SCRATCH! That's right, the entire lawn of 14,000sq ft is brand spankin' new!!  It hasn't been easy, thats for sure.  We always tell our customers to water the seed.  "keep it moist", "if it dries out, it dies out" etc....But most people don't seed an entire lawn of this size from scratch.  Our spring and summer has been spent growing tiny baby grasslings.  How do we do it you ask? We water. and water. and water. We do not have an irrigation system, so hours and hours a day and for weeks on endwe are pulling weeds and watering the grass.  The grass is too young for weed spray and the summer has been so hot, that the grass (like everyone elses) is under stress.  Patience, I tell mysef. With time and attention, our lawns are like children.  We need to watch them, care for, and nuture them.  Soon I will write again and let you know when our new lawn seed will enjoy it's very first cut! 

JLC is looking good in Cambridge, ON. Working towards being the best lawn care company in the Cambridge area, here is a photo of one of our recent works.  Looks good doesn't it? This cut is what we at Jody's Lawn Care (JLC) call the executive cut.  Mowing your lawn in the same direction week after week affects how it grows.  It's best to cut in one direction one week, and then the other the next.  And on special occasions, the executive cut looks incredible!  JLC has commercial lawn mowers for the most prestigious and quality of cuts.  Proper mowing increases the density of the lawn which helps to decrease and prevent weed growth.  If you mow in the same direction each time, the grass begins to grow in that pattern, preventing it from growing upwards and straight. After mowing, it's best to blow the grass clippings and scatter them evenly across the lawn.  This allows nutrients and nitrogen back into to the lawn, it's a form of grass cycling or recycling.  

Being professionals in the lawn care business, we know the importance of mowing a lawn properly.  Each lawn is unique and different from the previous- our care and attention to detail makes us superior.  And although new to the area, quickly JLC will be the best in the region due to our quality and art of lawn mowing.  If we cut your grass on a weekly basis, you'll be the envy of the neighbourhood.  

Here are a few more tips if you must do it yourself ( although wouldn't you prefer to have the weekend off?): 

-cut a wide boarder of the perimeter before you begin

-don't cut too short- length is better for your lawn.  It prevents weeds and brown patches

-edge and trim to create a clean edge along the curbs and driveways

Make sure you take some time to enjoy your yard.  You work hard, you deserve it! 

So Jody's Lawn Care is in Cambridge, ON....well we have  been for a few years now, but we are just starting to build it bigger and bigger.  I was told to blog. bog. and blog.  This wil help to improve our ratings on google to help get our business recognized and moving up to the top of the search engine.  So that's what I am doing.....blogging....what a weird word.  Regardless, everyone knows what it means these days so here I am.  So a little information about our lawn care company.  Jody started his business on his bicycle 22 years ago.  It was his dream to have the largest lawn care company in Norfolk County.  I would certainly agree that he has achieved that goal.  But Jody is a very driven business person.  He is always thinking about ways to improve his business, serve more clients, and help people achieve a beautiful yard.  It might be as simple as keeping the lawn looking beautiful or the gardens weeded.  But it even goes as far as small landscaping jobs, patios and rock gardens.  We don't do a lot of landscaping like these, but we do like to offer the occassional service of creative design.  After so many years of serving Simcoe and Port Dover he decided to follow his son into the city of Cambridge, ON ( where he plays hockey) and Jody decided to start the business there.  We developed a nice network of friends and colleagues in Cambridge and we decided to give it a try.  It actually took off like crazy.  Everyone wanted to try us out.  But as a good businessman knows, it's not safe to grow too quickly too fast.  So Jody was careful and approached the rapid growth carefully.  One of our lead foremans from Simcoe and his family had made the decision to move to Cambridge, ON for other reasons.  So we took that as a sign and allowed Neil to help us run this division along with Jody.   It was fate that Neil was moving here and we could use our knowledge and vast skill set that we had created in Simcoe and put it to the test in a new location.  And it is super successful here in Cambridge, ON.  We have wonderful clientel here in town.  They work well with us and we are happy to serve them and provide our quality services.  I can't wait to see where Jody's Lawn Care ends up in the next ten years.  Jody has a great vision and Im proud of him and the company he has built.  It's so exciting to see the growth in our new location!  Jody's Lawn Care is in Cambridge, ON!!!!!! 

A week into June and we are about to see some warmer weather approaching.  This really has been the perfect spring for growing conditions.  We've had optimum combinations of cool weather, rain, warm weather and sunshine.  I can't remember the last time we had such a perfect spring season.  It's getting close now to the end of "seeding" season.  We've actually done more seed jobs this year than most previous because of the ideal weather.  Although, one of the common things we hear about seed is " My grass seed is not growing and all Im getting is weeds".   We do promise to provide the best soil, the highest quality of seed blends and fertilizer for new grass.  And promise to supply you with tips and advise along the way.  We want your grass to grow as much as you do. Unfortunately for us, once the soil is put down and seed is layed, it really is up to the clients and most of all 'mother nature' to nurture their unborn grass seed. 

Here's how we can help.  Besides the obvious need for constant water, there are somethings that people forget when they are watching for their baby grass to grow.  

1) it takes time and patience to grow new grass.  One year we seeded our own lawn.  And it was a very large area so it cost us quite a large amount of money.  To our great disappoontment, it didn't grow much.  Jody was beside himself and discouraged because we did everything we were supposed to do.  Not to mention it was expensive!  But low and behold....the following season....it was a miracle!!! Lush green grass.  Full and thick. And gorgeous! It was truly amazing, because we didn't expect it such glowing results.  We just had to wait.  

2) it requires a lot of nurishment and water.  Just like a new born baby.  As your grass seed germinates it really is at its most vulnerable stage, and requires constant care.  Lots of slow but steady rainfall or sprinkler water morning and night.  Remember it has to go deep into the soil and stay moist deep down where the roots grow, not just on the surface.  Then if it's warm out during the day and it gets some sunshine, you'll need to go and water it thoroughly again.  I know it sounds like a lot of work.  But raising baby grass is a little like new born babies, they need a lot of care.  And not just in the first few days, all summer until it is fully grown.  

3) It's very hard to stop weeds from growing in along with your new baby grass.  Unfortunately it does happen.  The best thing we can do here, is pull them gently by hand and remove them;  providing your new seed optimum space to grow wide.  Once your grass is fully grown, we can discuss weed control and fertilizer programs, but in the meantime, weeds do surface and we can remove them by hand by keping a close eye on them. 

4) call the office and talk with our specialists.  We understand that each property is unique and everyone's soil composition is different.  Your lawns success is our success.  We WANT your grass to look beautiful. 

Have a great day! 

Aside from lawn care, Jody and myself are the proud parents of twin 14 year olds.  They couldn't be more different: one is an athletic driven, AAA hockey player for the Cambridge Hawks about to embark on the biggest year of his  life.  And the other, an artistitic dance crazed ballerina.  The one thing they share in common is their drive for success and perfection.   They both spend hours upon hours training in their respective fields each week.  They don't get their sumers off....they train.... and then they train more.... This past weekend, I spent with my daughter finishing off her competitive dance season with the Lisa Naves Dance company in Simcoe.  Lisa always puts on a remarkably entertaining weekend complied of three shows at the Sanderson Centre in Brantford.   Both teams, recreational and competitive come together and share their love of dance with their peers and with family and friends.  It's really amazing the incredible talent that comes out of Norfolk County.  A dancer is a special breed, as Lisa would say.  He or she spends hours in a room where they critique themselves and work so hard to become better and better.  Even when they hurt. They keep working harder and harder.  My daughter Marley, appears on stage, performance after performance, with a smile on her face and energy pumping through her arms and legs-but inside her feet are in pain.  The solid wood blocks that she balances her toes and body weight on make her cringe as the music plays on.  But of course she makes it through each number without any major glitches and the audience can never tell.  It makes me so proud to watch her beauty and grace and her wearing her heart on the stage for all of Norfolk to see.  She loves to dance.  She and her fellow dance team members have shared many vulnerabe moments together.  They have laughed and they have cried.  They have won and they have lost.  And when they finish their competitive season with a fun filled weekend full of dance and I love it when all their hard work comes together for them and for their community.   It was a great weekend LNDC....and an amazing season.  "dance as if no one is watching"......

Introducing Fiesta Weed Killer

Everyone wants to be eco friendly these days.  Go Green! Be environmentally friendly! Reduce, Reuse, recycle.  These are all familiar slogans out there in hopes that people will move towards healthier living.  And it encourages lawn care companies and pesticide users to search for alternatives too.   That's why we have been studying about fiesta. Fiesta is an organic mineral-based herbicide.  It works best as a spot treatment and on broadleaf weeds found commonly in your back yard.  It works quickly and effectively, killing the weed right down to the root ( but not your grass)!  It is dry and rainfast in three hours!! Safe for your pets and children and you can mow and reseed your lawn all within 24 hours of spraying your lawn.  

We all want fast results these days.  Fiesta begins to work on contact with the weed and visible weed damage is noticible within the first day.  The best part is that each year that our clients choose to "go green" we find less and less weeds!  Which means that after continual use of the product and committment to the program, we can move towards a better environment and still have weed free lawns.  

Our technicians are trained and supervised by licenced operators.  Study for application and training is done through the University of Guelph and all technicians are tested and or working towards their own personal certification.  

It's best to spray during certain weather conditions- so if you're scheduled to be sprayed and its piping hot outside, you can expect us the following day early in the morning or later in the evening when things have cooled down.  If you want more information about the product itself, pleases contact our office!  

Well that's all for now- it's friday and I am signing off for the weekend.  My children have a P.A day today so we are heading outside to enjoy some beautiful spring weather.  Have a great weekend! 

Photo: Evening sunset in Cambridge, ON....

After such a long week of rain and clouds, I am so happy to finally look outside and see the sun.  Not mention that it's warm out too.  My teenage kids tell me this morning that there are only three 'Mondays' left of school.  Really??? Three weeks until summer.  Ahhhh the freedom of summer.  Evening strolls, ice cream cones, beach days, bike rides, blueberry picking, and Canada's Wonderland

This will be our first summer fully living in Cambridge so I am pretty excited about trying out some new summer adventures.   We've spent many summer days at the beaches of Port Dover and Turkey Point, but now we'll get to try Puslinch Lake and the Grand River.  We just had our first experience at the Cambridge farmers market last weekend.  What a neat little place to visit on a Saturday morning. 

Being in the lawn care business in a small county like Norfolk, there are fewer companies that we can compare ourselves to.  However, here in Cambridge, there are many different companies we can check out to see how others run their businesses.  From small 'fly by nighters' to larger well known companies, it's very interesting to watch and learn from.  I personally always look to see what kinds of uniforms the crews are wearing and find a sense of reassurance that other companies are just like ours in many ways.  One thing for sure that is different is that in the city, there are large medians and wide boulevards that need mowing.  The land structure is set on a much smaller scale in Simcoe.  It's fun to compare.  Definitely a learning curve as we grow our business in the region of Waterloo.  But hey, it's all a fun experience...new places, new people just in time for summer. 

Spring fever, telephone hotline, and grand central station has been the feeling around the office this spring.   It has been insanely busy, and we love it.   My office staff report to me that upon checking phone messages, that three or four more calls ring through while checking.  It's incredible- flustering at times, but buiness is growing as quickly as the grass and thats a great thing. 

After finishing a relaxing May long weekend, our team and crews are well rested and back in the 'spring' of things.  Haha, sorry bad joke. 

So many of you have already had some service done and others still on the waiting list.  Here are a few important things to consider: 

new sod or seed 

-water daily for several weeks

-be careful not to cut it too soon after germination

-water again 

-and lots of patience

 weekly grass cutting schedules

-we try to cut your lawn on the same day each week

-please remember to pick up after your furbabies before we cut

-if you'd like us to skip a week, please call the office

-its growing rapidly right now, so it will most likely need to be cut every week

-relax and enjoy the service

 weed control and fertilizer 

-weed control works best after multiple applications

-it IS safe for your pets and children to be on the lawn

-you know its working when your weeds start turning black

So spring has sprung! I've been enjoying walking my dog during this warmer weather- just have to remember my hat and my sun screen! That's all for now, enjoy the outdoors and spend time with your families.  Contact JLC if you need any advice or assistance on your gardens and lawns.  We're happy to help. 

Normally this time of year we are in a panic to gear up for spring.  We might have spent our winter plowing snow or enjoying some seasonal down time with fewer hours in the office. But when spring hits, we find ourselves overwhelmed with phone calls, taking orders and running around quoting properties, barely keeping up with spring.   This year we're completely prepared and very excited about what is happening at JLC.   In between some ice storms and snowy weather we've been busy prepping for spring. Long hours in the office and shop where we have been servicing all our machines and vehicles, and working on advertising and promoting our company.   Our electronic quoting system and dispatching program is now familiar and we have become faster and more technologically advanced with the software.  So getting out those early bird specials are only click of a button away!

But most of all we are excited about our NEW LOGO and NEW WEBSITE.  Thanks to REM web solutions we've had a great team behind us helping to brand our company into some new, fresh, clean, and smart.  As many of you know, we expanded our Norfolk County division a few  years ago into one that includes the Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo.  This new look is giving us a cutting edge and helping us to attract and fit into this new culture.  But at the same time, it shows our long appreciated clientele of Norfolk that we are always growing and improving our company to better serve the community.  

The website allows you to contact us directly from your phone or computer. You can request a quote, and accept a proposal electronically.  You can see some of our recent works and let us know how we are doing.  Check it out- stay a while on the site! We are proud of it and excited about the new look of JLC.