If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

You may see advertisements for "perfect" grass that produces a lush, green lawn with very little care.

Please, question advertisements for grass seed mixtures that grow from Alaska to Florida.

Advisories

Beware of advertisements that exclude a specific name for the grass being sold.

Don't believe advertisements that claim the grass "even grows in impossible spots."

Several years ago, I contacted a company that was advertising a grass seed mixture in hopes of finding out, specifically, what grass seeds were in this too-good-to-be-true mixture.

The mixture included Kentucky bluegrass, creeping red fescue and annual ryegrass, a representative said. This information wasn't in the advertisement. And it claimed that it would produce an attractive lawn for Florida.

In Florida, ryegrass, fescuegrass and Kentucky bluegrass will produce a green lawn during winter and early spring. However, as temperatures warm in late spring and summer, these grasses will die.

All three types are cool-season grasses that won't tolerate our hot, humid summer weather. They won't produce a permanent lawn in our area.

Good grasses

You can choose from seven types of grasses when considering planting a lawn in Florida.

Centipede and St. Augustine are the most commonly planted in our area. Bahia, bermuda, carpet, seashore paspalum and zoysia are used less often.

All of these grasses have advantages and disadvantages, which should be understood before choosing a grass for your lawn.

With time, most people here will become frustrated with their lawn. As a result, North Florida is a great area to market a too-good-to-be-true lawn grass.

Reality check

Here's the reality: It's difficult to grow a lawn here.All our lawn grasses are native to other parts of the world; they did not exist in our native ecosystem. So expectations for a Florida lawn are too high.

Because of these factors, many people are looking for that too-good-to-be-true grass.

Be cautious before spending time and money on one of those "perfect" lawn grasses.

Contact the University of Florida Extension Office in your county or visit the UF lawn website for reliable information on lawn grass selection and maintenance for Florida.

Larry Williams is an agent at the University of Florida's Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EXTENSION CONNECTION: Be cautious of too-good-to-be-true lawn ads

On April 22, we celebrate Earth Day, which is devoted to education and action on environmental issues. As a citizen of the world, you may have a keen interest in protecting your physical surroundings. And as someone trying to reach long-term financial goals, such as a comfortable retirement, you’re probably also interested in improving your investment environment.

So here are a few suggestions:

• Respond to environmental factors. Over the past few years, we’ve had a favorable investment climate, marked by low inflation, low interest rates and generally strong corporate profits. And investors who have taken advantage of this positive environment have, for the most part, been rewarded.

But things can change, so it’s always a good idea to understand the current investment environment, as it may affect your investment choices.

For example, if it seems likely that long-term interest rates will rise significantly, you might need to review your long-term bond holdings, as their price would be negatively affected by a rise in rates.

• Nurture your investments. One area of environmentalism involves planting seeds or saplings and nurturing them to maturity. You can do the same thing with investments — and a good way to nurture them is to give them time to grow in all investment climates.

How long should you hold these investments? Well, you might heed the advice of Warren Buffett, one of the world’s most famous investors, who says this about his investment company: “Our favorite holding period is forever.”

It takes patience to follow the buy-and-hold strategy favored by Mr. Buffett — and it also requires the discipline necessary to keep investing through the inevitable downturns you will encounter. But over the long term, your perseverance may well be rewarded.

• Avoid “toxic” investment strategies. Unfortunately, many human activities are bad for the environment. Similarly, some investment strategies are “toxic” for your prospects of success.

Consider the pursuit of “hot” stocks. They sound inviting, but by the time you hear about them, they may have lost their sizzle — and in any case, they might not be right for your needs.

Here’s another “poisonous” investment strategy: trying to “time” the market. If you’re always jumping in and out of the market, looking for “low” points to buy and “high” points to sell, you’ll probably be wrong most of the time — because nobody can accurately predict highs and lows.

Even more importantly, you may find yourself out of the market during the beginning of a rally, which is when the biggest gains tend to occur. 

• Diversify your “species” of investments. The United Nations, drawing inspiration from Earth Day, has designated 2011–2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity. And, just as preserving the diversification of species is important for life on Earth, diversifying your investment portfolio is essential for its health.

By owning a variety of investments — stocks, bonds, government securities, certificates of deposit and so on — you can help protect yourself from downturns that primarily affect just one asset class. (Keep in mind, though, that while diversification can reduce the effects of volatility on your holdings, it can’t guarantee profits or protect against loss.)

Earth Day happens just once a year — but environmentalism lessons can help you, as an investor, for all the days and years ahead.

Joe Faulk is a financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FINANCIAL FOCUS: Celebrate Earth Day by improving your investment environment

EDITOR'S NOTE: April is National Financial Literacy month, so we appreciate a local financial adviser and loan officer for sharing tips on how residents can reach their financial goals. We hope their advice will inspire you.

Here is advice from experts. In addition, you can read a non-expert's view: from home cooking to thrifting, here.

•••

CRESTVIEW — Before you can reach a financial goal, you have to identify financial holes.

That is, unnecessary expenses that appear on monthly bank statements, said Yvonne Shanklin, a financial adviser at Edwards Jones in Crestview.

Planning a budget for regular purchases — like grocery store trips, for example — helps, she said.

"People need to be more money aware and have a reasonable allowance in mind," she said.

Derek Lott, president of CCB Community Bank in Crestview, agreed.

"It's the best thing to have," he said. Having a written, measurable budget would allow people to see how their money is spent, Lott said.   

"Roughly 40 percent of your total income should go towards paying bills (or debt)," Lott said.

Cash is king

Instead of using a debit or credit card to pay for groceries, Shanklin suggests withdrawing a set amount of cash to purchase groceries.

The limited amount could help people save money, particularly if they eat less at restaurants, she said. 

"Make eating out more of an (occasional) event, other than a just a standby option," she said.

Look for rewards

Looking for business' rewards or incentive programs, whether at gasoline stations, grocery stores or hotels, could help your bank account balance, according to Lott.

"With these incentive programs, you could save … 5 to 10 percent (on monthly expenses)," he said.  

Tax refunds

Spending tax refunds wisely is another part of a healthy financial plan, Shanklin said.

Use the refund to pay off debt; after that, see if some of it can go toward retirement, she said. The earlier people begin saving for retirement the better.

Big purchases

Residents thinking about buying a home or vehicle should consider meeting with a financial adviser to review options, regarding mortgages or loans.

The expert advice could mean the difference between a realistic deal within the household's means or a financial burden.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: NATIONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH: Pay with cash, court rewards and other helpful tips