Last year my marriage ended and in my haste to get the heck out f that house, I rented a wonderful little cottage in the country. It was perfect in everyway. I just couldn’t believe I was so lucky, to find the perfect place so quickly. When the owner told me I would be responsible for the yard, I said “no problem”. I loved the idea of working in the yard.
Summer is Here: What to Do If There’s No Man Around?
In the middle of cold, snowy winter, gardening sounded wonderful. I didn’t notice how huge the yard was until the first time I realized it needed to be mowed. I called to get some prices on having the lawn mowed by a service and found that I was easily looking at spending at lest $100 a month. I couldn’t do it. I bought an inexpensive mower and resigned myself to dedicating a day to figuring out this chore. What I learned, is that mowing a lawn is hard, but not too hard.
Ten Reasons to Mow the Lawn Yourself.
1. Lawn Mowing is peaceful.
2. Lawn mowing is time alone. Nobody will come near you, nobody can talk to you.
3. You won’t be able to her the phone ring or the kids fighting. If you have a man around, you should still mow the lawn; make him do the dishes and the laundry.
4. Lawn mowing is a great workout. It’s really no different that slapping weights around your ankles and taking a walk.
For a total body workout, try mowing the lawn – but no cheating with a riding mower! – or rake the leaves, clear some brush or haul away branches. To get the most out of these activities, mow your lawn quickly to keep your heart rate up, turning it into an aerobic event. And, when raking leaves, use long, even strokes and turn at your hips so you use your entire body.
5. Lawn mowing gets you outside on a nice day.
6. Operating machinery is powerful. Makes you feel you can do anything.
7. Lawn mowing gives you a since of accomplishment. Row by row you can see the results quickly
8. Great ideas come to when mowing the lawn. You can think.
9. You really see where you live when you mow the lawn. You see every nook and cranny of your home from the outside.
10. Mow the lawn yourself because you can.
Tips for Mowing
- Get into the Zen of mowing; think of it kind of like going to the spa.
- Wear sun screen, consider a hat and sunglasses and bug spray if you have a big buggy area to mow
- Bring a water bottle out with you so you won’t be tempted to quit and come back in for one.
- Plan it out, do it in sections. You don’t have to do it all at once.
- Make sure somebody else is doing the housework.
- Remind yourself that this is your workout for the day, not a chore.
Easy Lawn Care for Women
Women can keep a beautiful, lush, green lawn just as well as any one else. You just have to want to do it and have the right tools. From single mom to retired grandmother, more and more women are taking over lawn care duties and not hiring people to do it for us.
Here’s what I’ve learned while caring for my own lawn.
· Mowing height for most grasses is 1.5 to 2 inches. Any shorter than that and you will be scalping (cutting too short) your lawn. Scalping will cause the lawn to not retain enough water. It’s the quickest way to turn your lawn brown.
· Mow frequently, it will keep the lawn at a consistent length. I mow my own lawn every week, 2 times a week when there’s been a lot of rain. It makes the lawn look nice and keeps it growing. It will also encourage your lawn to thicken up.
· Keep your mower’s blades sharp. Dull blades just tear the blades of grass. You want to get a nice even cut look to your grass. Tearing can harm the blades and cause grass to die.
· Change direction every other time you mow. It helps reduce the damage to the areas you turn around in. If you mow north to south one week, mow east to west the next week.
· Always take a walk around your yard before you start mowing. Pick up and move any fallen branches, garbage or rocks that may have found their way onto your yard. It’ll make mowing simpler and faster if you do this first.
· If your lawn needs watering, do it infrequently. This encourages the grass roots to grow deeper. Most types of grass need an inch or more of water each week, more if you’re having extremely hot weather.
· Make sure you aren’t in an area that is having drought conditions. If your area is in the middle of a drought and you are out watering the lawn, the fines can be quite large. Watering at sunrise or after dusk will help keep water from evaporating too quickly, which means less watering.
· For great results that are easy, use a garden hose attached weed and feed when treating your lawn. This helps kill off the weeds while giving your grass the nutrients it needs.
