A question received this morning was timely, as we have been shifting a bit our model of lawn care.
While I have never treated our lawn with chemicals (instead adding compost to less healthy patches), we have changed a bit.
After many years of hiring a neighbor to do full-service mow, trim and weeding, we now have more of a hybrid arrangement thanks to the purchase of this surprisingly terrific reel mower from Fiskars (
https://amzn.to/3fCKghR). It does a fantastic job on the relatively flat grassy areas. (It is not quite as good on the heavily shaded/mossy ground.) It is a greatly improved version of the ones we have tried in the past that almost always jammed. No gasoline, no fumes and no unpleasant noise. In fact, this sound is quite pleasant, akin to the wooden screen door closing, the wooden gate latching, or the porch swing.
I have resumed the duties of weeding the gravel walkways and near the salt-water pool. And a local arborists drops off wood chips for paths to and around the compost area and stone walls.
But our mowing area is quite sizable (and we have cleared some land over the years) so we augment with a twice a month complete mowing/trimming with a professional and we keep it up in between.
Averyl sent the following question(s) for the community:
Lawns:
Treated or untreated? Organic or Scott’s et al?
Manicured, uniform golf-course aspirations or natural applications including clover and other green ground cover? Are they weeds or flowers?
Save the bees or your quest for perfection?
Status symbol or place to express your true nature?
Do it yourself or farmed out?
