TAKE A BREAK
Curb appeal speaks volumes, and your lawn is the shining feature of your curb appeal. A brown lawn, ridden with weeds, is an embarrassing eyesore. When planning to install a lawn in West Hartford, you’re presented with an important decision: Should you seed or sod it? Sod is an “instant lawn.” It takes a lot less effort to establish a sod lawn than grow seed into mature lawn. Once the sod is laid and watered for a week, you have a lawn that’s ready to go. Sod is a fabulous option for difficult areas such as slopes or elevated land. In these types of areas, seed would likely just wash away. Sod can also be laid at any time of the year, where seed is limited to certain months of the year. When you lay seed, you should also protect the seeds from heavy foot traffic or birds for a few weeks while you “farm” it into the lawn. On the positive side, seed is far less expensive than sod. With large, flat yards, choosing seed over sod may wind up saving you hundreds of dollars. Yet, seed can only be laid in certain months of the year, a few good weeks in the fall and in the spring. When it gets too hot or too cold, seed wont germinate easily and grass seedlings will dry out quickly in the heat. Despite this, seed is considered to be far less labor-intensive than sod is. People might be surprised, but September is actually the BEST time to seed. At Trout Brook Landscaping, whether it’s a seeding or sod job, we would start the lawn installation by ripping out all of the old sod and then leveling the yard with new soil, or if we are able to, reusing the same soil. We would then texture the ground. This whole process takes less than a day for a normal-size home lot. We have all of the right equipment, and we follow up the seeding or sod job with a referral for a fertilization and weed control program to set you up for success. We also set you up with watering directions to assist you in maintaining your investment. The result is a dense, lush lawn to complement your beautiful colonial home in West Hartford. Spicing Up That Curb Appeal Seed vs. Sod
One-Pan Apple Cider Chicken
Inspired by WellPlated.com
Bring the taste of fall into your kitchen with this sizzling skillet meal. Ingredients
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless,
• 4 tsp olive oil, divided • 3 sweet apples, cut into 1/2-inch slices • 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped, plus more for garnish
skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tsp salt, divided • 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided • 1/2 cup apple cider • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
Directions
1. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Set aside. 2. In a small bowl, combine apple cider and mustard. Set aside. 3. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tsp olive oil. When shimmering, add chicken thighs top-side down. Cook for 4 minutes, then flip and cook for 4 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Wipe the skillet clean. 4. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet, then add sliced apples, remaining salt and pepper, and rosemary. Cook for 5 minutes. 5. Return the chicken to the skillet and add apple cider-mustard mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, then serve sprinkled with rosemary!
For all of your lawn installation needs, call us this September — we are ready to serve you!
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