Neighbors envy Steve Brehmer's lawn in Palatine

Steve Brehmer fits a lot of categories you might expect for suburban dads.

House in Palatine - check. Two grown sons - check. Wife who's proud of him - check.

Yard so well cared for the neighbors pause to give praise - check.

Father's Day and yards seem to go together. Maybe it's because the holiday comes in June when lawn care is at its peak. And maybe it's because no one cares about their lawns like suburban dads do.

Brehmer, who has owned the approximately quarter acre in the Pebble Creek neighborhood for maybe 16 years, is modest about his accomplishments. But his wife, Margy, says people really do stop and say how nice things look.

"My husband always admired this lawn," she said. "We bought the home from a man named Ernie Johnson, the original owner. And people have said 'We never thought anybody could keep a lawn as nice as Ernie, but you do.'"

And both say the fact that they're on a corner lot might make the yard stand out more and show it off to its very best.

"I think it's more representative of our whole neighborhood," said Steve Brehmer. "There are a lot of beautiful lawns in the neighborhood. Everybody does a great job."

And yes, Margy mows sometimes. The couple also is experimenting with perennials because they had trees removed a few years ago and are dealing with more sunny spots.

While the couple does not take steps to make their lawn especially environmentally friendly, they do watch their watering, avoid broadcasting weed killer and keep the grass taller during hot weather.

Here are some ways Steve Brehmer keeps the grass green and groomed.

•Mower: The Brehmers own a 6- or 7-year-old self-propelled Toro. The company calls the system Personal Pace because the speed adjustment is in the handle, so if you walk faster the mower goes faster. Margy likes this feature.

•Sharpen blades: Brehmer has his blade sharpened a few times a year because the fall leaves especially make it dull.

•Time: Steve Brehmer thinks he puts in a little more than three hours a week this time of year. With all the rain, he's been cutting the grass and edging the lawn twice a week.

•Blade height: Brehmer cuts the grass pretty short in the spring. "I like to get all the dead tops off the grass and give it a fresh start." When July rolls around he raises the blade on the mower because the shade of the taller grass helps preserve moisture.

•Grass: Whenever he reseeds, it's a combination of bluegrass and fescue.

•Fertilizer: Steve Brehmer applies a house brand from Knupper's Nursery & Landscape in Palatine. He uses it four times a year: mid-March, early June, early September and November when he sometimes switches to a winterizer version.

•Weeds: No overall weed killers. He inspects the lawn every other week and squirts any dandelion tough enough to show its head with Ortho Weed B Gon. "Grass is stronger than weeds."

•Aerating: Brehmer and several of his neighbors try to rent an aerator in the fall and help each other use it because the machine is heavy and the task is a lot of work.

•Water: Yes, when absolutely necessary.

•Why: Brehmers find yard work therapeutic, and they love to be outside enjoying our rare good weather.