Product Description

"Some artists use canvas to create a work of art. David Mellor uses a baseball field. His patterns are so precise and imaginative, I call him the Rembrandt of groundskeeping."
––Bob Uecker, Milwaukee Brewers Broadcaster

Now you can transform your sports field or clubhouse lawn into an envy–grabbing work of optic art. In this book, David Mellor shares the turf mowing and maintenance secrets that have made him one of the leading creators of elaborate patterns used on athletic turf nationwide. Articles about Mellor′s work have been published in the New York Times and USA Today, and he is currently the director of grounds for the Boston Red Sox Baseball Club. In Picture Perfect, Mellor gives you the benefit of his years of experience along with simple–to–use techniques for creating playing fields that are without doubt a cut above the rest.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #905449 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages

From the Back Cover
"I had the privilege of working with David Mellor for many years and he is one of the most resourceful and creative people in his field. His work is extraordinary and he is one of the finest young men I know." —Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner of Baseball

"David is the perfect guy for a Picture Perfect book. His work at County Stadium was always tremendously appreciated by the players, home, and visitors alike."—Paul Molitor

"Some artists use canvas to create a work of art. David Mellor uses a baseball field. His patterns are so precise and imaginative, I call him the Rembrandt of groundskeeping. He′s a cut above the rest."—Bob Uecker, Milwaukee Brewers Broadcaster

"With Milwaukee′s constantly changing weather, the art of taking care of he playing field at Country Stadium had to be one of the most challenging. David was able to create a masterpiece regardless of these conditions."—Robin Yount

About the Author
David Mellor is currently the Director of Grounds for the Boston Red Sox Baseball Club and a consultant to the Simplicity company. He is one of the leading creators of elaborate patterns used on athletic turf nationwide. Articles about his work have been published in the New York Times, USA Today, and he has appeared on numerous television and radio programs. In Picture Perfect, David gives you his years of experience and simple–to–use techniques, so you can make your lawn or sports field the envy of your neighbors and colleagues.

Customer Reviews

Taking Your Grass Care a Cut Above Where It Is Today!
Summary: Picture Perfect is the ultimate resource for those who want to add even more beauty and interest to their grass by growing and maintaining healthier turf and cutting it in original and beautiful patterns.

Review: Mr. Mellor is the Director of Grounds for the Boston Red Sox baseball team and is thoroughly knowledgeable about grass. His advice is sound, thorough, and easy-to-follow. He has you begin by testing your soil to see what it is missing, establishing your turf properly, fertilizing appropriately, fighting off weeds and disease, mowing properly with the right equipment, and solving problems.

Once that grass is in place, he moves on to explain the art of adding patterns to the grass by using rollers with the mower to push the grass down. The color plates show many examples of this art form, which will intrigue you. If you are like me, you expected to see only geometric shapes using straight lines. Instead, you find gentle waves and delicate crossing patterns of all kinds.

Having worked in my father's gardening business when I was a youngster, I wish I had known about establishing these patterns. It certainly would have helped to relieve the boredom of cutting the same yards in one of three patterns time after time.

The directions are very helpful for how to deal with special problems, like temporary damage, making a mistake in the pattern, and repeating a pattern (you are encouraged to photograph your work to learn from what you have done).

Picture Perfect also has a long list of resources you can access, especially from the Internet.

Although the quality of the design and the printing are not as high as the contents deserve, the material is strong enough to carry the result to five star level. One does hope, however, that a future printing will create a version more like an art book to better feature the examples.

After you finish becoming an expert on turf design, I suggest that you think about where else you can exercise your creativity in your yard. Have you considered sculpting shrubs like they do in the Disney theme parks? How about designing a sculpture garden? Do you have a Zen garden area yet?

Create a better balance between the views in your yard and the thoughts in your mind. Let the reverbrations of inspiration take you to new heights of thought and harmony!