Spring has sprung, the grass is ris, and ‘tis the season, ...for mowing, that is! It certainly is that time of year again.
It’s been a very long winter and now that the lawn mowing season is here, it’s time to get the lawnmower, the edger, and the trimmer out of the shed along with the other tools, and dust them off, gas 'em up and get 'em ready to go.
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| Yard Care Basics |
Pushing a lawnmower around the yard, some will say, is much like riding a bicycle; you never really forget how.
I think it never hurts, and it’s probably a good idea to have a refresher course every once in a while, a little yard care seminar for all of our yard care personnel. I don’t want to give the impression that I’m overly particular, but I do like things done just so. I don’t really care how the yard work is done, as long as it’s done my way!
A little bit of history… I always did the mowing when our kids were young, (I could have been a yard care professional, ...but I think Brando said it best, "I could have been a contender" – "I could have been somebody", well, that’s another story), but anyway, the kids all helped in the yard, and had specific tasks or jobs that they were in charge of. There comes a time when the kids actually want to mow the lawn; it makes them feel big and important. It's kind of like a rite of passage, a time honored tradition, the passing of the torch, handed down from father to son, or from father to daughter, and finally, from father to youngest son.
But you don’t just hand over the reins for this all important task of lawn mowing without a little training. My “Lawn Mowing Training” to be exact. Just think, if my kids had to go through this kind of training just to mow the lawn, can you imagine how they ever got through my “Driver Training” to get their drivers licenses? You know, watching is just watching and one can learn from watching, but the real learning comes from experience.
When teaching someone the fine art of mowing, you’ve got to start with the basics. General maintenance issues like, how to check the oil and fill the tank with gas. Then they need to learn about the control levers, etc., and learn how to set the proper mowing levels for the mower. Then they must learn how to start the lawnmower and let it warm up properly, and then how to adjust the throttle, etc. Finally, they must learn how to empty the bag properly, etc., etc., etc. Obviously, there is a lot to learn about mowing and it can take years to master the art.
Now that the basics have been covered, it’s time to learn some technique. Yes, Technique. There is a right way and a wrong way to mow the grass. Knowing where to start mowing and why, and which direction to mow in is very important. You need to know how much to overlap each pass of the lawnmower, not too much and not too little, and you certainly don’t want to leave a small strip of grass by not overlapping at all. The dreaded “Mohawk” is not at all acceptable for proper lawn care.
But the most important rule to learn and perfect is straight lines. Yes, straight lines. You can’t just mow in a random pattern, back and forth, all willy-nilly like. Circles don’t work out either. Straight lines, while seemingly easy and very basic, are the hardest and can be the most difficult skill to master; especially on long expansive stretches of lawn. A crooked line stands out like a sore thumb, or maybe even an ugly red-headed step-child. If and only where necessary, lines may follow the gentle curve of the lane, or the contour of the land, but must still remain uniform in appearance. All other mowing lines and patterns must be straight.
When training each one of our kids, I would let them push the lawnmower all by themselves, and I would stand on the sidelines and watch them struggle with the line thing. Trying to give some help and guidance, I would yell out a few words of encouragement …overlap just a little more or keep trying to go straight, you’ll get it!
Oftentimes, I would stand at the other end of the yard and put my foot at the edge where the lawnmower wheel should be when they reach the end of that particular lawnmower pass and yell out …Aim for My Toe. Just Aim for My Toe! Aim that wheel right for my toe! That seemed to be a real help for them! Something to aim for! (Maybe they were really aiming for me, and secretly trying to mow me down!)
The secret to a well-cared for yard is straight lines that appear to mysteriously travel through any obstacle, such as a large planting area, clumps of oak brush, or various trees and tree circles that dot the landscape, and have the lines magically line up on the other side of the obstacle. It just looks way more nicerer.
For an added touch of brilliance, (and if you want to look like a real pro), you can do the double-mow, the criss-cross mow. You mow the yard a second time at a 90 degree angle. It may seem like lawn mowing overkill, but when done properly, the look is without equal!
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| More Yard Care Thingies |
On a rare occasion, you may even hear me yell out from a distance …Aim for My Toe, Buddy!
Old habits die hard! I suppose…
But you can always count on hearing those all-important words of encouragement throughout the season…Straight lines, Buddy …Straight Lines!
I don’t do a lot of the mowing around here lately, but I like to think I’m still in charge. And that brings up another important point. When, if ever, does the student become the master?
I guess it depends on who you ask!
Hmmm…just sayin’
The Celebration and Festivities here at The Compound are expected to start early and continue well into the evening. The staff has prepared lots of food and other treats "Fit For A King" with a surprisingly, and overwhelmingly “English” theme. 
However, officials here at The Compound have said that someone with a “British” accent called recently and booked the Guest Cottage for an entire week, early in May. Hmmm?!
