Smelling "the new."

 Spring, a time of new growth, of possibilities and a chance to begin again. It came on Saturday without bells and whistles. It arrived without much fanfare, or coverage other than a passing blurb "Spring is now here."

One year later after all the uncertainty and confusion surrounding Covid, we have a chance to set things right once again. We have the opportunity to pursue some normalcy and reclaim routine in Lawn Care.

Yet, there are the ugly whispers of 2020 that linger like a fart in the elevator, and brought us the perfect storm of a pandemic surrounded by the hottest and driest summer in seventy years. And with it infestations of chinch bugs, crabgrass and Japanese beetle we haven't seen in some time.

There are scars of it everywhere from large swaths of bare soil to acres of newly-sodded lawns seemingly ubiquitous.

The good news is, The Farmer's Almanac is calling for a more tame Mother Nature in the 2021 season. Combine that with proper mowing, watering and maintenance, and your grass should be much healthier and happier this year.

The one wild card in the deck, however, is the grub population. With the extent of the Japanese beetle reported over last summer, grubs could be problematic moving forward.

Watching for heavy digging activity from skunks and raccoons is key to early detection, and timely treatment before root systems are affected and Sod Growers have another banner year.

But for now, let's just embrace the feeling spring brings us and hope for the best.