The front lawn was already looking a whole lot better only 16 days after I had sprinkled down the Scotts ezseed Patch & Repair.

Scotts ezseed Patch & Repair Actually Works! And Other Yard Projects

When I returned to Fort Collins this fall, I was met with an unwelcome surprise: half of my front lawn was dead. I hadn’t been able to monitor the lawn from Spain over the summer because my last renter kept shutting off the Wi-Fi (don’t ask), and the doorbell camera never reconnected. Fortunately, since it was still late September, I had a small window of time to try to revive the grass before the cold set in and growth became impossible.

One unexpected surprise when I arrived in Fort Collins was that the front yard was half-dead with lots of bare spots.
One unexpected surprise when I arrived in Fort Collins was that the front yard was half-dead with lots of bare spots.

In the past, I had tried overseeding with a spreader during various times of the year, but those attempts always failed with a capital F. This time, I decided to try a different approach: Scotts EZ Seed Patch & Repair. I picked up a 3.75-pound bottle from Home Depot, covering 85 square feet for about $22. The price seemed a bit steep for a mix of seed, mulch, and fertilizer, but the “guaranteed results” label sold me, especially since it claimed to grow grass “anywhere.”

A 3.75-pound bottle of Scotts ezseed Patch & Repair.

The application process was refreshingly simple. All I had to do was rake the ground to loosen it up, sprinkle the EZ Seed over the bare patches, and spray the areas with water.

From there, the main task was keeping the patches moist until the grass could establish itself. I set my sprinklers to water the entire lawn for 10 minutes at 6 a.m. daily and set an alarm to give the Scotts-treated sections a light watering at 3 p.m. as well.

Sixteen days later, the results were pretty astonishing, comfortably surpassing my skeptical mind’s expectations. The grass filled in nicely with minimal effort. Based on my experience, I’d highly recommend Scotts EZ Seed Patch & Repair if you need a quick, low-hassle solution to lawn patching.

The front lawn was already looking a whole lot better only 16 days after I had sprinkled down the Scotts ezseed Patch & Repair.
The front lawn was already looking a whole lot better only 16 days after I had sprinkled down the Scotts ezseed Patch & Repair.

In addition to reviving the lawn, I also took on another project I’d been putting off in the front yard: replacing a barberry bush that had died two or three years ago. I’d hesitated, partly because barberry bushes are notoriously thorny, but finally, I ordered a pair of thorn-proof gloves. This proved to be a wise investment, as I never felt a single prick.

Armed with close-up photos of the remaining healthy barberry bushes, I headed over to Bath Nursery and Garden Center in Fort Collins. The staff were extremely helpful and helped me find a similar replacement. It was smaller than my other bushes, but the largest size they had. The employee assured me it would catch up in size within a few years, which worked well since I planned to trim the others soon anyway. And being small, the new shrub easily fit inside my Audi TT roadster. No truck needed!

The Crimson Pygmy Japanese Barberry in my Audi TT.
The Crimson Pygmy Japanese Barberry in my Audi TT.

The process of replacing the bush was straightforward but time-consuming. First, I trimmed down the dead bush’s branches, filling up an entire garbage can. Next, I tackled the rootball, which turned out to be easier than I expected thanks to a combination of shoveling and some quick work with a cordless reciprocating saw. With the old bush cleared, I planted the new barberry.

Removing the rootball of the dead barberry shrub.

Now, I’m looking forward to seeing both my front lawn and the new barberry shrub grow and thrive in the years to come. I’ll probably use more Scotts ezseed Patch & Repair next year, as now I know I know it’s a reliable solution.

Applying Scotts ezseed Patch & Repair was as simple as raking the bare spots, sprinkling the product, and spraying it with water.
Applying Scotts ezseed Patch & Repair was as simple as raking the bare spots, sprinkling the product, and spraying it with water.
Unfortunately, one of the barberry shrubs in front of my house had died.
Unfortunately, one of the barberry shrubs in front of my house had died.
There were various barberry bushes shrubs at Bath Nursery & Garden. I picked out the one in the lower left corner as that seemed closest to what I had.
There were various barberry bushes shrubs at Bath Nursery & Garden. I picked out the one in the lower left corner as that seemed closest to what I had.
new barberry shrub a month after planting
new barberry shrub a month after planting