Winners tell tales of tobacco juice, vole vendettas and picky patterns

Tom Parisi asks his guests to move during a cookout so he can water the lawn where they are sitting.

Besides regular fertilizer he concocts a tea of soap, tobacco juice, Epsom salts and other ingredients suggested by Jerry Baker, celebrity gardener.

He jokes about installing an electric fence to keep the neighbor kids off of his lawn.

Of course, his friends can't miss his hobby or obsession over his lawn. Their practical jokes include sticking 80 campaign signs in the pristine yard - the day after the election.

And the only way to celebrate Tom's 50th birthday was for all the guests to sit on lawn chairs and enjoy his precious emerald crop while waiting to surprise him.

How could we choose anyone besides this Elk Grove Village man for our Lawn King?

Although Parisi carries a bottle of weed killer when he mows the grass, dandelions do not dare show their bouncy yellow heads on the lawn that was nominated by five of Parisi's friends and relatives.

And the American Airlines mechanic generously shares tips for "fair weather lawn people," who brag about their grass in the spring, but get fed up by July or August:

•Aerate once a year.

•Dethatch twice a year.

•Mulch 75 percent of the clippings and pick up 25 percent.

•Mow every three days when things are lush in the spring and every five days when it gets hotter and drier.

"Everything in moderation and don't stress your lawn," said Parisi.

And, oh, yes. Don't let people walk on the grass when that first frost shows up.

Huh, don't walk on grass in the winter?

"In the spring you'll see brown spots for a couple weeks because the grass can't recover over the winter," says our Lawn King.

And who are we to argue.

Here are the other winners.

Ted and Clara Raupp, Wauconda

Ted and Clara Raupp were both raised on farms - he in Arlington Heights and she in Buffalo Grove - but as adults they had indoor jobs.

Now in retirement he takes care of their Wauconda yard, she's in charge of the flowers, and they share vegetable garden duties.

Ted Raupp cuts the grass on 11/4 acres with the help of a pair of riding mowers. Most of the lawn gets one dose of fertilizer in May, but any bad spots and areas under shade trees get extra help.

Ted said he's always had a love of growing things.

"I think it's born right into you," said Ted.

John Vermaat, Batavia

John Vermaat might agree.

He, too, was raised on a farm where crops are always planted in a pattern or rows.

Now he mows patterns into the lawn - crisscross, horizontal or vertical stripes.

"Ever since I've had my own home I've been picky with the lawn," said the Batavia resident.

Vermaat is very busy, so he has a small yard. And when he can't get to the chores, his wife, Kathleen, takes care of watering duties.

"You don't have to water as much as most people think," said John Vermaat. "You start when you know it's getting dry out."

He uses weed killer in one of his fertilizer applications and also carries a bottle with him when he walks his domain.

"If you leave the grass a little longer, it's harder for the weeds to take hold," he said.

A seasonal awning over the deck helps the Vermaats enjoy their yard.

"It's like a whole other room. Kind of like being on vacation," said John Vermaat.

While he does his own "ladder work" trimming trees and shrubs once a year, he does hire a service to aerate the lawn.

Jean and Carl Kaufman, Des Plaines

Jean and Carl Kaufman are in a class of their own when it comes to lawn dedication and know-how.

The 79-year-old Jean recently came home after a stint in the hospital for pneumonia. And did she put her feet up and take care of herself as the doctors ordered?

No, she started working in the yard.

"I'm addicted to it," she admitted. "It's like a baby or something; it needs a little help."

But Jean Kaufman, who concentrates on the flowers, gets quite a bit of help from the other half of the yard couple.

Her husband, Carl, 82, used to care for a park for the Norridge Park District.

"If you have something you like, you keep younger," said Jean Kaufman. Nobody's pushing you and making you do things. And nobody forces you to work faster."

Marty Mildren, Roselle

Courtney Mildren says her father, Marty, is known as the neighborhood lawn Nazi after a character on the Seinfeld television show.

But the Roselle man says a friend compares him to a character in the movie "Caddyshack" because of his vendetta against voles in his yard.

Mildren doesn't shoot the voles or take after them with explosives.

He tucks little pellets designed to kill mice in landscape bricks where the destructive beasties overwinter. These seem to do the trick. Mildren says his family always took pride in their lawn when he was growing up in Wisconsin.

"It's therapy for me. Some people have little hang-ups. I guess it's an acceptable one."

Mildren has always wanted an underground sprinkler system, and three years ago finally got one for his front and side yards.

"It gives us curb appeal," he said.

His other tips include setting his mower high in the summer, fertilizing four times a year and spraying any weed bold enough to show itself.

<p class="News"><b>More nice lawns</b></p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Selecting winners in our best lawn contest wasn't easy. Here are some of the other nominees that caught our eye.</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>Algonquin:</b> Alex and Loretta Saputa are generous with their manicured lawn, welcoming their neighbor's 3-year-old twin daughters to enjoy the space with a special bench just for them, reports Brandy Kaye, mother of the girls.</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>Arlington Heights:</b> Pat Albu is a bit jealous of all the time her husband, Bill, spends with his lawn, but she sees the upside of having an expert mower and edger in residence. Jeff McVay turned mud puddles, weeds, clover and bare spots into a showplace, says his wife, Kate. And he adds premium grass seed to cover already-thick grass to create a lush carpet feel underfoot.</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>Batavia:</b> Neighbors put plastic weeds in Monte and Carol Keys' yard just to watch them go ballistic, says Richard Isbell. He is sure the Keys spend at least 12 hours a week on their yard and plantings.</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>Gurnee:</b> Ken DeBreau has great photographs that show how he cuts patterns into his yard. These designs take on different looks during various times of the day, he said.</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>Libertyville:</b> Holly Arnold McGrath says her husband, John, "loves it (his lawn) so much he cuts it by hand with scissors twice a week."</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>Roselle:</b> Donna Breckenfelder admits the lawn is a tough competitor for the affection of her husband, Bruce. "You should see his lovesick puppy face as he rolls down the window when he drives to work in the morning just oogling at his fresh cut lines from the night before," she wrote in her nomination.</p>