The Lawnmower Man
Though I’m still run ragged with work (though hopefully tonight will be the last evening I bring work home!) I had to find time to blog about this…
Over the past few weeks it has become apparent to anyone who knows me in real life or online that I don’t get on well with strimmers and lawn mowers. I love my flat but as part of the rental deal I have to maintain the front lawn. I think if it was a lawn I could actually use to relax on, or a garden I could entertain in, I might begrudge it a little less. However as it is on the corner where various paths meet it’s a rather public place.
I purchased a strimmer last month and managed to get half the lawn strimmed, just in time for the council lawnmowers to drive over it and finish the job (definitely worth paying my council tax for!) But then the strimmer stopped working because the cord got too short, and the instructions made no sense to me. It was my sister who explained how the strimmer works. Apparently you just bang it on the ground and more cord comes out. Genius!
With my new found knowledge I was all ready to tackle the second half of the lawn this weekend and give the whole thing a good mow.
So imagine my surprise when I woke up yesterday morning to find the overgrown lawn strimmed. And returning from my sisters at 8pm in the evening to see the mystery mower had returned to finish the job. Now I have a lawn that will probably not need any attention for a few weeks.
But who is this mystery mower man or woman? Is it a neighbour who finally decided they’d had enough of my gardening incompetence? Or a secret admirer who thinks the way to my heart is via a nicely cut lawn? (Chuck in some chocolate, champagne and flowers and they aren’t going far wrong!)
My sister has reported sightings of an elderly man in a brown coat wandering round our neighbourhood with a lawnmower. Is my grass his latest pastime?
Whoever it is didn’t leave a note (or a bill!!!) but I am genuinely grateful whatever their motivations. If by any coincidence the lawnmower (wo)man is reading this blog, well then, thank you very much!
Helen T – can you guess why I like the suggestion at the end of this green tip!! Perhaps you should just do one decorative strim in future, then the neighbours know it’s not just slovenly gardening hehe!:
Tips – Lawns are yawns
Help your lawn conserve water by letting it grow longer. Mow less frequently or mow high to encourage root growth – it will also give the grass a chance to self-seed. Leave clippings on the lawn to return nutrients as they decompose. Alternatively, save yourself the effort of mowing and encourage more meadow species, which are great for attracting insects. Mowing a path through the middle shows it is meant to be that way and is not the result of neglect!
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