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Friday, August 2, 2013

I can't mow my lawn



It might not come as a surprise to my readers that I'm not the type of homeowner who “needs” a perfect lawn. Very little of my property is lawn. It can all be mowed with an electric mower on a 100 ft. cord.

Mowing the lawn is not a big job, but I've been unwilling to do it. For the last few days, the lawn has been carpeted with honey bees.

There was very little actual grass when I bought the property. To make matters worse, I had some parking spaces excavated across the street from the house. Rather than pay for a truck to haul the gravel away, I had it dumped in my yard to raise it up and extend it a bit.

The bigger rocks got raked out of the dirt that was almost totally devoid of organic matter. I went to the hardware store and picked up about 5 different types of grass seed and two different types of clover. I raked in all the seeds. The idea was that something would probably take hold and keep the dirt from washing down the hill.

Just about everything took, at least in one niche or the other in the yard. Over the years, it even began to look like a lawn. It's not a suburban picture perfect lawn, but a lawn where the kids and dogs can roll around.

The lawn also has what would be called weeds in a more civilized setting. My feeling is that anything that can make a living in my poor soils is welcome to stay. Actually, the soil is not nearly as poor as it used to be. Earthworms live in it now, so that's saying something.

This year the clover is doing especially well, along with small unidentified wild flowers. The bees love them both. I haven't seen this many bees on a lawn since I was kid. What harm can come of letting the lawn get a bit wilder for a few more days?

Of course, even in normal years, I let my lawn get pretty tall now and then. It's good for the grass as it gets a chance to set roots deeper in the soil. No fertilizer or pesticide has ever been used. During dry years my neighbors can't understand why their lawns die and mine stays green and thrives. Their lawns, always cut short and fertilized, never developed deep roots.

On sunny mornings my lovely wife and I set up our outdoor table and chairs in the tall grass. We sip our coffee while watching the bees do their thing. It will get mowed soon enough.

-Sixbears

17 comments:

  1. I like my grass with pointed tips
    six inches high is plush.
    we never let it reach our hips.
    Some People worry too much.

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  2. I only cut the grass so we dont lose the dog or grand kids in it.I like to let it seed before i cut it.OH i love clover its slow growing.

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    Replies
    1. If you mow your lawn and find a car, it's been too long. Outside of that . . .

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  3. I set my mower as high as it will go and mow it as little as possible. Like you, I let anything grow that has the courage.

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    1. My dad used to say: if it's green, it's grass.

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  4. Unfortunately I'm not much of a gardener so the lawn tends to be left to its own devices! Like you I like to see the variety of plants that can grow in there, it's just amazing. And I love the butterflies and bees doing their things over the flowers even if those flowers are dandelions. Maybe I should do something about the nettles around the garden, but there are things hiding in there and there are deer that visit and hide, so no, I'll keep the nettles, I don't care what people might think!

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    Replies
    1. Good for you. One person's weeds is another's wild edibles.

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  5. For our 'lawn': if it turns green - it stays.

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    Replies
    1. Anything that keeps the soil from washing away is good with me.

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  6. This is one of my many pet peaves about some prepper types.
    This penchant for mowing large lawns !
    Ask...what ya gonna do when gas is no longer available ? Then that lovely green will become a highly flamable fire risk. Not to mention harbor snakes and a multitude of other pests. Also allow intruders concealment right up to your doorstep.
    Why I'll just use a sickle on that two acres of lawn say they...RIGHT LOL !
    Then too if one has a Buck Goat which is on a tether then lawns can be maintained and actually usefull. Fence the lot and let the Does run free. ( Warning, fences which can hold a goat are not easy to construct ) Beware any bushes or trees in this area tho.
    For ourselves, we plan on goats. Solar panels for the electric mower and weed eater, and very, very, VERY little yuppie scum grass lol

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    1. I've a tiny lawn, very low fire danger, harmless snakes. Electric mower for the lawn. Also have a scythe, if needed.

      Don't need another crazy animal.

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    2. Ah but milk after SHTF would be nice. You are quite correct Goats are most def crazy hard to manage critters.

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  7. I don't like to mow our yard and have reduced the size by 90% to where I use a push mower. Around here, mowing is a second religion and not mowing every week if it needs it or not, is the devil's work. Anyway I am highly motivated this year as I bag the grass/weeds and feed it to our calves, they love the pre-chewed food, happy happy. In the fall I bring the horse in and let him eat the yard, my yard is a crop now, very little goes to waste and the manure goes on the pasture and garden. Now, Finally! Mowing is worthwhile.

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    Replies
    1. You are one of the few who have real reasons to mow a yard, yet even you've reduced the size of yours.

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    2. Only city fools would have large lawns. Horses are much easier to manage for the yard tho and useful if ya can keep the neighbor from eating them after SHTF...

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    3. Rather manage woodland than lawn.

      Buddy of mine has a huge lawn. I told him if he plowed it up and planted it in potatoes he'd less work by the end of the summer . . . and potatoes. Only half joking. Big waste of soil in my book.

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