I’ve been born and raised in the land of suburbs.
And that meant yard work. Pulling weeds, getting 25 cents a trash bag full. Cutting the grass. Putting mulch everywhere. My dad was proud of our lawn. I think since he never had one as a child, he worked extremely hard at it, and he made sure we worked on it too.
The one task I hated more than anything else was starting the lawnmower. This was before easy-start engines. I would crank and crank on that cord and nothing would happen. And what was really bad was that I did not understand anything about engines. Choke and throttle meant nothing to me. I would just pull on that cord until I couldn’t anymore. I would give up and had my dad start it. Which he could do within two pulls. (Did I mention I was short and fat?)
So now I have my own yard. And I cut it myself. But I gave up on the whole two stroke engine lawnmower. For a while I had a battery charged lawnmower. But it did not have quite enough charge to make it the whole way through the yard. It would take me two days, especially on those weeks where I was a few days late.
Now I have an electric lawnmower that does not have a battery, but instead has a really long extension cord. It is lighter than the battery charged one. Quieter than any gas powered engine. And I never have to have a can of gas in my garage. I always felt good about doing this small part for the environment. And now I have found something else I can do as well.
I am letting the grass grow higher. I now use the highest cutting setting on the lawnmower. And there are extra great benefits. And no, I still have to cut the grass just as often.
Yes, this is a simple thing to do. But it is the simple, easy things that will save us.
It is so ironic because I just started doing the same this this summer. I raised the mower deck up and I know that the grass will be healthier for it. You are totally right when you say that the simple, easy things will save us. We don’t have to be on the front lines of the global warming war to make a difference. Now, if you can only find a way to mow less often! 🙂
Starting the mower was the thing I hated most as a teenager, too; I dreaded it. I think, like you, that not understanding how engines worked was what made it so hard for me, too.
I do all the things you mention, and for years I used an electric lawnmower, until we left it behind when we moved, and my husband insisted on replacing it with a gasoline one, which I hate–as well as having to store gasoline.
However, we just cut our lawn for the first time this year. We let the clover stand till the grass crowded it out, but we’d begun to get lawn-service flyers on our door daily; I guess our lovely, scented clover just looked like weeds to them. We plan to plant buffalo grass this year, which is native to Texas, and apparently never or rarely needs mowing.
Back when I was a kid, my grandfather told me how foolish people were to bag up and throw away their leaves, like my parents did. Either cutting them with a mulching mower (great for the lawn) or using them in a compost heap for the garden is a wonderful freebie and good for the environment, too.
In a similar vein, I’m vaccuuming less often to save energy!
I have always liked the idea of a lawn that doesn’t require energy be it petro or other. Grasses that don’t grow long sound great. I’d certainly let the dandelions and clover grow for the honeybees to use too, but that’s me. Here’s an example of my beef with the current mindset regarding the ‘perfect lawn’. Using neonicotinoids found in over the counter pesticides to alter the native flora including dandelions is just another way we are managing to alter our environment for the lesser. Save the Dandelions! Plus as a rule lawncare takes time and money away from life’s greater pursuits. Like, you know, Worlds of Warcraft.
Dandelions and clover aren’t native — they’re from Europe.
Still, lawns are a bit pretentious. If you ever go to western Europe, peoples’ front yards consist of peppers and tomatoes. Somehow we’ve relegated those to the backyard, if at all.