Last week I exchanged some e-mails with one of my friends from New Hampshire. We were talking about news and weather and she said “John mowed for the first time yesterday.”
Is there anything that says you’re a homeowner louder than the steady whine of a lawn mower? It’s all very suburban.
Struggling for something to say about the summer rituals of lawn mowing, I read the long “lawn” entry Wikipedia. It is filled with socio-economic opinion about lawns and also touches on environmental impacts. There wasn’t much in the way of alternatives to gasoline-powered mowers. I found a somewhat obscure article about a pedal-powered mower in a farming magazine, and we all know how the push mower turned out for me last year.
I like the idea of a robotic lawn mower. I haven’t seen any like this here in Maine, though.
I’m not opposed to transforming parts of my lawn to gardens or things that require less upkeep than traditional bluegrass. I’ve added three new garden spots to the lawn area since I moved in. But even these installations are not without work and thought.
Here are some morning glories I’ve planted in a lawn cut-away garden.
I pulled the mower out yesterday and mowed two-thirds of the lawn. Tonight after work, I’ll mow the last of it. I don’t see any alternative to it this year. I’m just going to make peace with the process as much as it’s possible.
Julie-Ann Baumer 
I’m sure there are alternatives to mowing if you like knee-deep hay to walk around in, ticks crawling up your legs and sucking your blood, and cover for the varmints (Chuckie likes tall grass to slink through, getting to your veggies).
Having been “afflicted” by the ritual of mowing every 7-10 days from May to November for 20+ years, I’ve never truly made peace with it, but I’ve come to accept that there are two hours every week that I’ll have to allot to my lawn. There are advantages; it’s great exercise and a good calorie-burning activity.
I am now mowing less than ever before, reducing my previous three hours to two, or less at-present. That has been due to letting go of some of the my suburban lawn tendencies, and allowing some of the yard go back to a wilder state.
As they say, “when in suburbia…”
Hmmm…every 7 to 10 days. Peace it shall be, or at least detente.
It takes a gardener to think that gardening is less work than mowing a lawn. Then again, it has also been said by someone I’m sure ” when you are doing what you love to do, it doesn’t seem as though it is work at all”. I let the gals volunteering at the Bowdoinham Library Plant sale know I had heard of the event here on Julie-Ann Baumer’s blog and the gal helping me to check out sort of to say, grabbed a little writing device known as a pen and jotted down your info and they even let me snag a photo of them with my phonecamera. The take, was four or five boxes of Wave Petunias, probably way more than should go into the space in Mother’s memorial garden on the front lawn. It doesn’t look any where near as tidy,organized or loved and cared for as the Baumers flower gardens, as it shouldn’t. They have been lovingly gardening for years, and I am a newbie and not all that much in love with the art.
And while I can appreciate the talents of gardeners such as yourself and those who give of their time and efforts to bring beautiful spaces into being that all of us with eyes to see, and noses to smell have the benefit of, the effort made in Polly’s Memorial garden often make it look like some wild animal has gone through there in a fitful state, torn the whole thing to pieces and God bless those hardy little plants and flowers that can withstand such abuse.
But each time a flower opens, or greenery starts to push forth (provided it is of the acceptable type) I am reminded once again of those precious beautiful moments in life given as gifts to children and loved ones, even strangers by a woman living and giving of herself courageously each day in this world of chaos and confusion.
I wish to say Thank you for sharing about the Plant Sale, the links to the town & people that volunteer and give their support for their Town. Just down the road a piece was a boat launch and park, the Merrymeeting Arts Center where they have a collection of Bryce Muir’s wood carvings, art and book “Local Myths” as well as exhibiting art from area school children, this month the theme was Fiddleheads and then to General store to grab a cup of coffee before heading back to Lisbon, and Lewiston. It could be that the hour spent at the Merrymeeting Art Center in Bowdoinham, I gathered up more seed for thought then was in box holding the Bowdoinham Library Plant sale, Wave Petunias. Either way, both offer the potential for growth, and that’s Life.