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It's all in the family on this episode of The Gardening Gamble. There's no feud, but some unexpected surprises as the teams transform overgrown yards - back and front - into unique spaces.

Landscapers:
Ken Parker, Sweet Grass Gardens Inc.
Linda Parker, Sweet Grass Gardens Inc.

This Week’s Dirt:

• Creating an instant lawn
• Weeding Out Naturally
• A plant that brings you tears of joy

Chong's back yard before Chong's back yard after Chongs's back yard before Chong's back yard after

PROJECT: Creating an Instant Lawn Linda Parker, Sweet Grass Gardens An attractive lawn in your yard says a lot about a homeowner…and gardener. An instant lawn is simple way to create a formal-style garden as Linda did in this episode. Laying sod properly is the secret to an instant, lush lawn. Follow these steps and you’ll have the grass that’s greener on your side. Start fresh. Remove any old grass and add some damp top soil to the area you want to lay sod. When you start rolling out the sod, make sure you lay it flush against the edge of the wall or sidewalk. Stagger the pieces of sod so that you start the top end of the second piece halfway down the length of the first piece. You want to avoid unrolling them side by side – don’t forget to lay the seams of the sod flush against each other, but avoid overlapping them. After you have laid out all your pieces of sod, water it! You will need to give your new lawn at least 2.5 cm of water daily for 5 days straight. Be sure to concentrate the watering on the seams. You should also walk across the lawn as you’re watering it to squish out any air and ensure the sod has good contact with the soil.

Lam's front yard before Lam's front yard after Lams's front yard before Lam's front yard after

PROJECT: Weeding Out Naturally Ken Parker, Sweet Grass Gardens On this episode of The Gardening Gamble, Ken Parker teaches us how to get rid of weeds, in an environmentally friendly way. Ken calls it ‘responsible gardening’. This is a great solution for those annoying ‘weeds’ growing in cracks and crevices of your driveway, between patio stones and walkways. Just be selective with where you use this mixture, as it eliminates everything, including lawn. Simply mix: 1 litre of vinegar 1/4 cup of salt 2 tbsp of environmentally-friendly liquid dish soap Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray on desired area. Repeat process as needed (likely 2 – 5 times) and watch your weeds die an herbicide-free death!!