* Step on a crack and break your mother’s back, or so kids used to say. (Do they say that anymore?)  Nowadays, step on more than 6 cracks, and your homeowner’s association will be on your back (or at least that’s what some homeowners associations’ covenants  suggest).  Have you counted your cracks lately?  Oh, sure, that’s made it to the top of the to-do list, hasn’t it?  Well, turns out that if you catch the cracks early and fix them, it ends up saving you money in the long run.  (Yes, yes, I know we’ve heard that before about almost everything, but we keep needing to learn this little lesson, don’t we?)  Good ole’ Kudzu had me out there counting last night after I received my weekly Must Do-52 enewsletter from them.  I have a couple cracks, and they are small (for now), but perhaps, just perhaps, this must-do item ought to move up on the list.  If you have bigger cracks and it is, indeed, time for a new driveway, see if permeable pavement would work for your climate and soil conditions (and homeowners association).  Permeable pavement (also called pervious pavement or porous pavers) enables storm water to seep into the ground while being filtered, thereby returning clean water to your water table.  Some cities or counties may even offer you storm water credits for environmentally sound practices such as installing permeable pavement. Find out more about permeable pavement for your residential driveway from this Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article (which is where I found the photo).

* The Must-Do 52 enewsletter also has a reminder that lawns really do better when they are on a lawn care schedule.  (Sort of like children, yes?)  To everything there is a season, apparently, and that holds true for pre-emergent, fertilizer, and aeration as well.  When looking for a lawn care company to help you with this, ask about an organic lawn care plan–many companies, such as TruGreen, now offer that environmental, healthy, kid-and-dog-friendly choice.

* Had it with the lawn? Me, too.  That’s why I’ve been converting my lawn to an “edible landscape” for a few years now.  This morning, as I picked onions, zucchini (see the picture of my younger daughter holding the one we didn’t find until it was huge!), and blackberries out of the garden on the side of my house (which was lawn just two years ago), I thought back to how I used to push-reel-mow that piece of land.  I don’t miss that one bit!

Need help fixing your cracks or replacing your driveway, putting your lawn on a schedule, or eliminating your lawn?  Find service pros you can trust on Kudzu.