When we bought our house in 2000, while about 2/3 of the backyard was grass, perhaps 1/3, maybe a bit more, was actually brick. There had been an above-ground swimming pool once upon a time, long before we moved in, but the indentation, framed by railroad ties, was still there.
Our yard had a unique design, and we liked it, for a time. That is until theĀ bricks started to wear down, the railroad ties no longer walkable due to deterioration. We decided two summers ago to have the brick area torn up – with said bricks filling in part of the hole – and putting in more grass instead.
Though I had agreed to it, this was not thrilling to me, since I was the one who mows the lawn. After all, lawns are a soul-crushing timesuck and most of us would be better off without them.
As I’ve noted, I’d been using a reel push mower. But my parents-in-law got us an electric mower last season. I did not use it because the new grass wasn’t coming in very well, but was mostly a swampy marsh.
Now, though, we have a full lawn, and I have capitulated to using the new machine. It IS especially helpful in the dandelion season when the only way to keep up with them would be to reel mow twice a week; THAT wasn’t going to happen.
Ouch! While mowing, I was getting conked the head by some low-hanging branches in our yard. And the manual hedge trimmer we have wasn’t going to be able to cut through them. But what I COULD cut were some of the ancillary branches, which would raise the predator branches an inch here, a couple of centimeters there, until I could walk beneath without being attacked by flora.
Thus armed with my implement of destruction, and inspired by the city workers who had trimmed branches away from the power lines on our street that very day, I also walked up the street, pruning branches of trees that would otherwise have slapped me in the face.
You’re welcome, neighbors.
I feel your pain. We have two houses 30 min. from each other. One is an acre and one is a city lot. It’s a pain trying to mow two lawns, especially when you have to haul your riding mower back and forth. We plan on selling the house in the country and moving to the city (it’s a small city, only 13,000 year-round people) so mowing won’t be so much of a pain.
We have little space around the house…. and that we have is occupied with a pond and borders with flowers and fruitbearing plants..and a small patio to sit on….
reading your post now I am glad to not have that lawn in any way š
I use a weed wacker to cut the grass, and Boy, is it a pain in the A!
Love your poem at the top of the post.
As a kid, I cut our grass at home,
when I married and we got our home,
I cut the grass with a push mower until very late in our life there.
A power mower came on the scene and was I happy.
When we moved we gave the mower to our son
and happily hired a very inexpensive lawn maintanence person to cut our grass.
We now live happily ever after!
We have a Gardener to do ours, that’s if, I can shoo him away from the kitchen door whilst drinking a large mug of tea and engaging Ian in a conversation about football!
He is useful to have around because if we need any maintenance work doing around the house he has many contacts, Also he cuts the 8ft high green birch trees that form a hedge all around the garden.
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.
Loved the quote and illustration:)
Our granddaughter is now mowing our lawns–and they are pretty good size. I cannot because of allergies and hubby cannot because of hip surgeries. We also hired a lawn company to fertilize, mulch and all that too, our time of lawn labor is over.
Ann
Now I’ve moved into my condo, I don’t need to pay anyone to mow my lawn or weed my garden…it’s all included in my fees and I can sit back and enjoy the fruits of the gardener’s labours! I feel your pain! But it IS pleasurable once it’s all nicely done.
Leslie
abcw team
My guess is that the branches were from the neighbor’s tree?Our backyard is even too steep to mow grass, so we use a weed-eater.
Brown grass is what we have here in drought striken California.
My ABC WEDNESDAY
Gardening is a great hobby., but time consuming at the same time. Good luck with your garden.
You are a trimming whirlwind. I like a manicured lawn, can you tell I don’t have one.
I never used a mower before.
When we moved to town I bought a reel mower, used it myself, loved the smell of newly cut grass and was awash in memories of cutting my grandparent’s lawn when young, but now my knees complain and so a son-in-law cuts the lawn. It still smells lovely.
My wife is the gardener in the family, but I claim that I take care of most of it because I mow the lawn! As I did yesterday and why I have a sore back today.
Fun post and I love this comic strip ~
Wishing you a happy week ~ ^_^
Maintaining a lawn can be a big job but the joy of seeing it green is satisfying. š
Happy ABCW!
It sounds to me that you have solved and correct d the hazards! And it is nice to be able to use an extra power source to mow the grass! Perennial flower beds take up yard space that you will no longer have to mow… (!). Have a great day!
hahaha. You prune the way I do. Just enough to get everything out of my face and the Husband’s. We’ve let our lawn go this summer, with intentions to pull it all out. Translated, maybe finished in a couple of years. Hacking away and transforming as we (rather I) go.