The Green View

Winter Isn't Leaving Spring Alone

Spring is rolling northward, but this past weekend snow was a chiller for many. I saw it on the television, but I was in an elevator with a couple who said they had snow on the ground in northern Pennsylvania. Then I met another couple who live in Erie (up near the lake and is about five hours away). They said the trees were budding there, but were amazed at how the south central area (where we are) is in full bloom.

But this cold spell caught me without the warmer clothes and corduroy pants. Actually, I had packed away all my cold weather gear and then the cold returned! From growing up in Ohio you would think I would know better! Now I am remembering the snows we had in late April and even May!

Mother's Day - The Perfect Gift!

You may think I am crazy, but what would be a perfect gift for Mother's Day other than something that could be enjoyed all year long? A PERFECT LAWN !!!!

Now think about it, every time she walks outside, the grass is thick and green with no weeds or crabgrass. This is the gift that keeps on giving! Does she more jewelry? How long will flowers last? (Mothers expect flowers. So flowers are still a good idea - lol.) But seriously, this is a gift that will last year round!

Now I would not recommend wrapping this gift up. Give her a card with a note...I will let you write that!

Order online today and have Greenview Fertilizer delivered to your door or use the store locator to find a dealer near you!

Expert Advice

When I was talking to mom, she passed on a question my sister had asked. Apparently she has had a thistle problem for the past several years. They are in the lawn, garden and flower beds. Mom said the roots can grow real long and are tough to get rid of them. What do I suggest?

Remember, now that I am helping to build Greenview Online, she thinks I know everything. Well, not yet! However, there are some real experienced people here and I am very much impressed. Of course, I will go ask someone.

Then I stopped for a sec...since I ordered this for my sister and now that she has received the fertilizer, tell her she can get free expert advice from our agronomist. Look in the box for the invoice and you will see the phone number and email address.

But mom paused for a moment like all mom's do and I said...I will ask for you - so stay tuned for the answer!

Our Neighbor's Dandelions

Well, my mom, sister and niece just received their Greenview Fertilizer. She asked me will this take care of the dandelions, and I said “Yes, the 24-2-8 is the Spring Weed and Feed with Crabgrass Preventer.” We chatted some more, rather she talked about the weather and how horrible this winter had been and much rain they had the last two years in the summer. She told me that after two weeks of great weather, parts of Ohio had snow this morning and she was in one of those parts! They live in Zone 5 in Ohio.

Mom said the yard is in full bloom and I replied, “That is great! What kind of flowers did my sister plant this year?"  “Oh no,” she said, “The yard is full of dandelions and both our neighbors have yellow yards! For the last two years, it has been like this. We fertilize and use stuff to kill the dandelions, but our neighbors do not!”

Well, always the salesman, I said to mom, “Why don’t you tell them to go Greenview Online and tell them they can order or find a local store! Also, tell my sister that in case the application instructions get thrown away, they are posted on the blog.

Greenview Diary: Spring in the South

Let's take a break from lawn care to talk about one of my favorite seasons, spring. (Fall is my other favorite. Winter is too cold, and summer too hot.)

I live in the southern part of the country, and spring arrived here some weeks ago. There is a favorite scenic drive near my home I love to take called the Natchez Trace, which extends from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. In the spring the Trace comes alive with flora and fauna. Bradford Pears, Dogwoods, and wildflowers decorate the roadway providing a panoply of color and beauty. In the fall, the changing colors have their own character.

Of course, spring (and fall) are the times to fertilize your lawn, and Greenview offers many options to suit your needs and climate. Subscribing to our Greenview Online "just the right time" subscription service makes the job that much easier.

If you're ever down this way, plan to take a trip along the Trace. Opt for spring or fall if you don't mind. You'll see for yourself that what I'm saying is absolutely true.

The Greenview Diary: Trip to DC

This past weekend's trip to DC was exciting. This is the first time in years the cherry blossoms had been in bloom in conjunction with the Saturday's festival AND the perfect weather.

There were a record number of people and the METRO was reporting 2.5 times the amount of traffic over last year. I avoided the parade and the traffic but got caught in it trying to get across Lincoln Memorial Bridge.

Sunday I drove down and had planed to park on Ohio Drive (Go BUCKS!!!) but the traffic was too intense and there was no parking. I drove over to Foggy Bottom and walked the distance. THIS WAS AT 7 AM!

The blossoms were great to see and i walked over to the Mall. next to the reflecting pool the Cherry Blossom Rugby Festival was well underway. I watched the Navy's midshipmen beat University of Pittsburg. Since I played for the All Air Force Rugby Team I had to root for the Navy wearing an ALL Army Rugby shirt that I had traded for back in my playing days.

After I left I tried to drive down to the capital so I could walk around, but they had streets blocked and traffic patterns were a mess. It took me an hour to get to 14th ST. So I just drove north and parked the car.

I changed plans and decided to set out on foot and walk to Cleveland Park from downtown. I traveled up Massachusetts Avenue to Dupont Circle and took a right onto Connecticut, but there was a loud music coming from the Dupont Circle Park. Very wild - there was a bunch of swing dancers dancing away.

I stopped to watch and drink a coffee I got from the Starbucks on the corner before I continued on the way. I only got a block or two up Connecticut when I ran across the an outdoor farmer's market. I stopped for a bit and then continued on my way. I only made it to Woodly Park before I decided to take Rock Creek Parkway back down toward the Kennedy Center and to my car. Wish I had my bike!

The Greenview Diary: Those Bloomin' Forsythia!

Forsythias blooming are a sign that spring is here! They have great color!

On my drive down to DC this past weekend for the Cherry Blossom Festival, I saw the Forsythia blooming all the way down I-83. They were everywhere in DC. I took this pic near the Penatgon.

The Greenview Diary: Trip to DC

Friday afternoon, I took off early for once. Left at 2:30 and hopped in the car for the three hour drive to DC. About an hour out of DC I hit a bottle neck at 95/495 split. I was in rush hour traffic and stopped. Bored, I called Jo Carol (yes, her name is spelled right this time – lol) and left a voice mail, telling her of my estimated time of arrival…unknown!  Then I remembered how I had promised them something special.

I had remembered to bring the fertilizer to spread on their lawn, but I forgot the bologna. A manufacturer in Lebanon makes a sweet and a regular bologna. This is not the kind that you and I grew up with from the stores like Oscar Meyer. I had gone to the store this morning and placed it in the fridge in my lunch pack with a freezer pack. I had some local swiss cheese to go with it too.

I was bummed!  I had built this up all week. It is really different and something to try!  Guess this week, I will have bologna for lunch and dinner – lol

One note on the ride down was I saw the trees budding, cherry blossoms blooming, spring green is awesome. The forsythias lined the highway!

The Greenview Diary: Grass Seed

I have been seeing commercials from our competition advertising them as having the better grass seed. They use the words "cheap" to describe the other grass seeds companies and I inferred from that they mean the competition will have weed seeds and they do not.

I went to my boss and asked about weeds in the seed. He said what they are not telling you is that you will get more weed seeds from the dirt you haul in to use and the straw. So if you are hauling in dirt and or straw, don't blame the grass seed!

My next post will be about me going around to the resident experts and asking how Greenview Grass Seed is rated. Remember, I just started here in December so I am still learning the product lines and how they compare.

The Greenview Diary: Shipping Meeting

We held a shipping meeting the other day, and this is what happened to me.

Customer Service has known that I have been submitting test orders to make sure the system is working well. When we were having the meeting, one of the people said to all in attendance, “We are not shipping Rob’s orders because they are all test orders!”

I politely asked if those were my orders to Ohio? She replied, “Yes, they are and they are all canceled” I looked over and said I don’t think so. Mom and my sisters want their XMAS present! They would kill me!  More to the point, my sister would kill me, because she was told she didn’t have to go out and shop for fertilizer and lug it home!  Slowly, a smile came to here face and she said “Gotcha!” UGH!!!!