Question
We closed recently on our new home on 1/2 acre in Milbrook, not a large plot but big enough. I have been pondering our grass selections for months and I always come back to a vision of very short putting-green grass. Would this be possible for me to do at home? If only on the area toward the front of the house facing the street? I would like to know everything it will entail. I have waited a long time for this and I plan to have some day workers come in to do what is needed.

Answer
You can purchase Bentgrass seed at Seedland.com (www.seedland.com) and sow it now for spring growth.

Hopefully the soil is ready and waiting for you to do that.

How does "Velvet Bentgrass Seed" sound?

"Greenwich Velvet Bentgrass provides an excellent putting surface with exceptional turf performance and wear tolerance under low fertility.  Greenwich features strong resistance to dollar spot and brown patch.  An ideal alternative to creeping Bentgrasses, especially in environmentally sensitive areas where water and fertilizer use may be limited."

Seedland has several other varieties of this putting-green grass - I recommend you go straight to the website and see them for yourself.

For the rear areas, I agree that you should probably grow something that needs less maintenance.  That Bentgrass needs almost daily mowing (and I have seen people insist you have to mow Bentgrass twice A DAY!  Ignore them).  Kentucky Bluegrass in comparison seems to be low maintenance in that context.

I also think you should pick up a lower-mowing Reel Mower for cutting at the optimum height.

I assume this is an area of full sun and your soil is rich and fertile - no chemicals to alter the soil chemistry or reject the Earthworms and other animalcules in the soil underfoot.  Correct?

Get yourself a soil test before you do anything else.  You need to get up close and personal with your soil - pH, CEC, vitamins and minerals present, etc.  That is the most important step you will take for your lawn.  You don't have to do the heavy lifting here - just do the Intelligent Gardening.

Thanks for writing.  Keep me posted.