Lawn

The lawn that just won't die! Surprisingly perhaps, that's exactly the fear that many people have when contemplating switching their lawn to something else. We fuss and labor over our lawns. If we miss a watering, forget to fertilize or ignore our little green oases, we quickly see the outcome: browning, dieback, weeds, disease and so on. So, when the time comes, you'd think it would be easy enough to murder them. Not so. Grass lawns, especially those in California, can be tenaciously persistent, refusing to die, returning months later to haunt the executioner.

KAREN WIGHT The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Or the other side of the street. Or on the other side of town. Lawns are looking shabby by the end of summer. Especially ours. I can tolerate a certain amount of diversity as long as the grass (or the weeds) look green. But the weeds have been growing full tilt this summer, and high temperatures, lack of water or both have caused burned areas in the grass. We use a gardening service, which is another culprit: transient weed seeds are being planted into my lawn every week.

June Casagrande Owners of overactive sprinklers beware: The city could soon target residents and businesses who over-water their lawns. The city's water quality committee recently shot down an idea to ban most private car washing in the city, but lawn watering, they decided, is an area where added city scrutiny could make a worthwhile difference. "Most people water their lawns way too much," said Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff, who serves on the Coastal/Bay Water Quality Committee.

If there’s anything scarier than seeing a school bus lose control and careen onto someone’s lawn, it’s being inside that house and seeing the yellow beast headed straight for you. In what can be considered both a terrifying and miraculous crash at once, police said a Newport-Mesa school district bus ran a red light at 30 mph, collided with an SUV, lost control and steered into a house only to stop before smashing into it by...

A Costa Mesa man named Kevin Doane made it perfectly clear to the City Council that he was not going to pay a $400 citation the city issued him for allowing what was once a lawn in his front yard to dry out, die and turn into a dirt patch. “No. 1, I will not pay that — ever — and you can do whatever you want to do,” the brusque, bearded man told the council Tuesday night. Although he acknowledges that he’s violating a city ordinance that requires homeowners to landscape their front yards, he says he was encouraged to do so by Councilwoman Wendy Leece, who constantly tells residents from the dais to cut their water usage because of the impending drought.

Last weekend was hot — 85, 90, even 100 degrees in some areas. It was the first hot few days of the year. Lawns all over the area had a similar reaction to the heat. You probably noticed it too. Grass areas, maybe even on your own; showed dry, wilted, discolored or parched patches. Last weekend it seemed like every second lawn at homes, in homeowners associations or on city landscapes showed the same wilted patches. It was hard to miss. Like clockwork, at the first heat spell every year we see these patchy, wilted lawns.

Is your lawn famous? Mine isn’t. It’s just a common, everyday, garden-variety lawn. Kevin Doane’s lawn, on the other hand, is very famous. It’s also dead, which is the problem, or not, depending on your point of view. Kevin’s lawn, which is really a non-lawn, is the most famous brown patch in Costa Mesa. As you may recall, Doane is a Costa Mesa contractor who lost his job in 2008 when the economy went missing, gonzo, bub-bye, we’ll be in touch.

Police continued the search Tuesday for two men they believe rammed another gardener's vehicle in Costa Mesa and possibly stole his lawn trimmer. A 42-year-old gardener told police he saw a 1990s Ford Explorer driving slowly next to him about 10:15 a.m. Monday along Gleneagles Terrace and Aviemore Terrace, said Costa Mesa police Sgt. Phil Myers. He followed the Explorer and tried to block it, which is when he told police the suspects rammed his vehicle. The victim later noticed his lawn trimmer was missing.

My new lawn has been beautiful for the past six months. Just recently it has developed a couple of large, irregular brown patches. I've read about fungus, lawn moths and grubs. Any suggestions? Michael Newport Coast From what you have described, I don't believe your issue is caused by insects or disease. I suspect that your sprinkler system simply is not applying enough water evenly. Soon after the weather warmed up three or four weeks ago, brown, dry areas began appearing in turf areas all over Orange County.

Lolita Harper A long way from its natural habitat, a flock of pink flamingos has landed on the front lawn of a Newport Beach residence. That's assuming plastic lawn ornaments have a natural habitat. Known for decorating the lawns of society's most mature members, the birds are far from where they should be, Dover Street resident Ernie Liske said. "I am not quite old enough to have flamingos in my yard -- but close," 60-year-old Liske said. The bright turf knickknacks come courtesy of Liske's niece, Kathleen Hitt, and the fun-loving folks at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant in Costa Mesa.

City Hall? It's more like Snoopy Hall these days, now that the Snoopy House is officially underway, festively decorated and front-and-center this holiday season at 77 Fair Drive. The 46-year Costa Mesa tradition - started by Jim Jordan and his family at their Eastside home - officially began Friday night with a little rain and cold winds, but with merriment about the short ceremony that included food trucks, Snoopy from Knott's Berry Farm, city CEO Tom Hatch, Mayor Jim Righeimer and Jill Schulz, youngest daughter of "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz.

Police continued the search Tuesday for two men they believe rammed another gardener's vehicle in Costa Mesa and possibly stole his lawn trimmer. A 42-year-old gardener told police he saw a 1990s Ford Explorer driving slowly next to him about 10:15 a.m. Monday along Gleneagles Terrace and Aviemore Terrace, said Costa Mesa police Sgt. Phil Myers. He followed the Explorer and tried to block it, which is when he told police the suspects rammed his vehicle. The victim later noticed his lawn trimmer was missing.

The Newport Harbor Lawn Bowling Club in Corona del Mar will send four athletes to represent Southern California at this year's U.S. National Championships. Maryna Hyland, Tony Baer, Charlie Herbert and Brian Stewart, along with eight other team members, will compete against the top players from throughout the country for national titles in singles and pairs events, said Myrna Chan, a club member. The U.S. National Championships will be Aug. 23 to 28 in Seattle. "The Newport Harbor LBC is consistently home to top lawn bowlers and members of Team USA," Chan said, adding that the club will host the U.S. Open of Lawn Bowls from Sept.

Some of the best lawn bowlers in the world are from south Orange County and will compete a month from now in the United States National Lawn Bowling Championships in Seattle. From Aug. 23-28 at the Jefferson Park Bowling Club, Maryna Hyland, Charlie Herbert, Tony Baer and Brian Stewart - all members of Newport Harbor Lawn Bowling Club, based in Corona del Mar - will compete in the competition against six other teams from around the country. Each has won a United States Lawn Bowling Assn.

IRVINE — Orange County will have its Great Park — or at least the small segment of it that officials were able to budget for — by spring 2011, board directors said this week. The North Lawn is the first part of the first phase of the Western Sector Park Development plan. The 19.5 acres will include walking and biking paths, a turf lawn, a parking lot and a multipurpose recreational field that could support up to three temporary soccer fields. While the official start of construction was Thursday, crews have been grading the area for three weeks, carefully avoiding underground power lines and protecting existing trees, according to a presentation at the Orange Country Great Park Corp.

The lawn that just won't die! Surprisingly perhaps, that's exactly the fear that many people have when contemplating switching their lawn to something else. We fuss and labor over our lawns. If we miss a watering, forget to fertilize or ignore our little green oases, we quickly see the outcome: browning, dieback, weeds, disease and so on. So, when the time comes, you'd think it would be easy enough to murder them. Not so. Grass lawns, especially those in California, can be tenaciously persistent, refusing to die, returning months later to haunt the executioner.

CORONA DEL MAR — A Lynwood man was arrested this morning after police said he got behind the wheel drunk and, from a review of a police account, essentially played bumper cars down a Newport Beach street before coming to a stop on a front lawn. Joshua Mario Muniz, 24, was arrested on suspicion of driving drunk and felony vandalism in the 200 block of Larkspur Avenue in Corona del Mar about 3:44 a.m. Newport Beach police said that Muniz deliberately drove into cars in the beachside neighborhood before he ended his rampage, crashing into a wall causing thousands of dollars in damage.

The Newport Harbor Lawn Bowling Club is offering free lawn bowling lessons at their upcoming annual open house. The club  invites locals to come find out about the wonderful world of Lawn Bowls on Saturday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Newport Harbor Lawn Bowling Club. The Open House is part of a nationwide event, initiated by the United States Lawn Bowling Association, to promote lawn bowling as a fun activity for all ages. Activities that day  include; free lawn bowling lessons, hot dogs and beverages as well as a coloring contest for kids pre-school through 6th grade.

Is your lawn famous? Mine isn’t. It’s just a common, everyday, garden-variety lawn. Kevin Doane’s lawn, on the other hand, is very famous. It’s also dead, which is the problem, or not, depending on your point of view. Kevin’s lawn, which is really a non-lawn, is the most famous brown patch in Costa Mesa. As you may recall, Doane is a Costa Mesa contractor who lost his job in 2008 when the economy went missing, gonzo, bub-bye, we’ll be in touch.