A lawn can say a lot about a person, keeping a lawn trimmed and organized shows the pride and dedication a homeowner has for their property.

However, this is no easy ordeal as there are dozens of factors which can contribute to a less than ideal lawn.

The first step to maintain a lawn is to provide it with a good thatching, search for vole damage, this will show up as little trails or mazes as you're doing your thatching or grass which comes out by the roots.

Another thing lawns could have suffered over the winter is pet spots. Pet spots are damaged areas of grass from pets when they are brought out over winter, says Lawn and Garden Journal Host Carla Hrycyna.

"A lot of us are pet owners so you may find that you have pet spots all over your yard which look like round patches which aren't growing anything. With that, we're talking the process of overseeding and putting peat moss down as a good base and putting seed on top."

Due to the acidity of dog urine, a way to reduce pet spots is to think about the PH levels says Hrycyna. To balance the PH, a good way is to cover your yard in dolomitic lime, which will counteract the acidity.

When it comes to cutting grass Hrycyna says to keep the blades sharp and during drier times the blades higher, as cutting too low while the plant is dry can cause burning.

During the summer, the lawn is a battlefield between homeowner and weeds. The simplest solution would be to be using pesticides, however, pesticides can damage the diversity of a lawn and pose a danger to pets and children explains Michaelin Lower, Organic Lawn Care Coordinator at Manitoba Eco-Network.

"Pesticides are harmful to everyone, but especially for kids and pets. Also, chemicals reduce the biodiversity in the soil ecosystem."

A lawn with reduced biodiversity takes more effort to maintain and in turn, costs more money.

To reduce this unwanted damage from chemicals many people are investing in an organic lawn. Organic lawns stay away from pesticides and herbicides and other synthetic inputs.

When it comes to weeds Lower notes they aren't that bad for your lawn, if you want them removed because they can look like an eyesore, pulling from the root is the best solution. However, if a person is okay with having a little yellow in their yard with dandelions they are an excellent source of food for insects which feed on nectar.

For people wanting a different take on a yard, Hrycyna says a current trend in lawn care is planting clover. Clover covers the yard quickly and grows short white flowers which can be appealing to the eye and create more food sources for bees.

She notes for anyone who doesn't want bees around can simply cut the flowers with a mower.

Lawn care is an art form, with the proper tools and information anyone can keep their lawn healthy and green.

A clover lawn where clover seeds were planted in lieu of grass.