Mowing


If you have neither the strength, time or interest to roll, spike, scarify, brush, weedkill, water or feed your lawn, then it probably won't be top quality, but at least it will look like a lawn. Not so with mowing - for this is the one unavoidable lawn care chore. Even if you don't notice the grass growing around your feet, your neighbours almost certainly will.



Most of us know that mowing requires constant effort, particularly at the height of the growing season in May or June, when grass can grow as fast as 4 inches a week in favourable conditions. Indeed, most lawns will need cutting about 30 times a year. However, there are ways of making mowing easier.



See that the shape and layout of your lawn is simple, preferably without sharply curved edges, island beds and specimen trees or shrubs to make mowing awkward. Overhanging branches that require you to duck beneath with the mower can be a nuisance or even dangerous. Aim for long runs up and down the lawn where possible - except of course where a hover-mower is used from side to side.


Plan the direction of mowing carefully to avoid unnecessary turning, reversing or overlapping.


If you have a large area of lawn and limited strength, then don't mow it all at once. Stop before you feel tired and mow it in sections with breaks in between.


Don't aim for a close-cropped ornamental lawn - they take more effort to mow and don't wear so well. So aim instead for a utility cut, perhaps 1 inch high, which shouldn't need mowing more than once a week in summer.


If you're considering a new lawn, choose one of the newer, hard wearing, but slower growing grass mixes.


Choose a mower that really suits you and your lawn, that does what you want it to with the minimum of effort. Mowers are expensive and the market is competitive, so consider all alternatives.


The cutting width of your machine makes a great difference to the time taken to mow a lawn.


A power-driven model may not be suitable for someone who can only walk slowly, unless it has reliable variable speed control.


A heavy machine that is stable and has a steady slow speed may be useful for someone who needs the extra walking support during mowing.


A light, easily-controlled hover mower can, with practice, be mastered by a wheelchair user, provided they have sufficient strength in upper body and arms, and manage the cable carefully.


Petrol-driven mowers with recoil starters can be awkward to start for someone with weak arms or poor balance. Choose an electric start mower instead.


If you have a weak grip, take care that hand controls are easy to operate and there is an emergency stop button.


For a very large area of lawn, consider a small four-wheeled, triple cylinder or rotary sit-on model, if your bank balance allows. It will save a great deal of effort.


If emptying the grass box proves too much, do without one, but be prepared to rake up clippings if necessary or use a mulch mower,.


Electric mowers are generally lighter than petrol-driven mowers. Do take every precaution though to prevent accidents from happening. In particular:


Get the mower checked by a qualified electrician, at the beginning of the mowing season.

Always switch off the engine and disconnect the power supply before touching the blades.
Remove all stones and debris before mowing.


Never leave the mower unattended with the engine running.


Fit a circuit-breaker switch that will cut off the current the minute anything goes wrong.


Keep the cable well clear of the mower blades and always mow away from the cable and extension socket wherever possible.
Looping the cable under one arm, around the back of the neck, over the opposite shoulder and under the other arm can be a useful way of keeping the cable well out of the way.
Use a cable-less model.


Use an extension socket on a spike that can be stuck into the centre or the edge of the lawn, with spare cable coiled alongside it and paid out naturally as you mow up and down alongside, progressively moving further away from the socket.



Gardening Paradise's

Alternatives to lawns



Had enough of struggling with your lawn, but not sure what to replace it with? Consider the following:



Replace it with a hard surface, such as paving, brickwork, concrete, small cobbles set into concrete, gravel, wooden decking or tarmac with small pebbles brushed over. Mix the surfaces to create interesting patterns and textures. Leave gaps for plants between. Make sure that the surface is safe to use - choose non-slip materials. Avoid reflective colours and surfaces and provide shade for large areas of hard surfacing.


Establish an area of ground-cover planting. Particularly useful for those awkward corners, areas of uneven ground or slopes, or shady patches under trees, where grass does not grow well and mowing is difficult. Choose plants carefully for their dense, weed-smothering habits, rapid spread and all year interest. Prepare the site well before planting, eliminating weeds, improving soil and mulching where necessary so that early establishment of leaf canopy will be encouraged.


Plan a scree garden, with alpines, small conifers, low shrubs, and dwarf bulbs growing in well-drained soil topped with lime-free gravel chippings and well-placed rocks for easy maintenance.


For a small area, try establishing a lawn using a plant other than grass. As long as wear is minimised, and the ground weed-free to start with, the following suggestions are all suitable, being neat and attractive all year, tolerant of some trampling and having a dense, low-growing habit that reduces the need for hand weeding. One drawback is that they need to be replanted every 3-4 years.


Anthemis nobilis. Chamomile. The variety 'Treneague' is best, being non-flowering. Aromatic, feathery, best on a sunny site. Trim in late summer. Establish from divided plants or cuttings, 4-6 inches apart.



Thymus spp. Ideal for well-drained sites in full sun. A mixture of the low growing and creeping forms gives a lovely Persian carpet effect. Establish from seed, sowing different species in bold shapes, at feast five plants per patch. Choose varieties with contrasting leaf colours, textures and flowering seasons. Maintenance is minimal, restricted to a little hand-weeding and the occasional clipping of the taller dead flower heads.



Cotula squalida. Fern-like, bronzy green, soft foliage. Does best in moist soils in sun or light shade. Yellow button-like flowers in summer, ideal for narrow borders next to walls.



Acaena Novae-Zealandiae. Almost evergreen, a useful sub-shrub, it forms thick carpets of soft, rich green feathery leaves in sunny, well-drained sites. Spreads rapidly by rooting stems. Good on banks.



For more Gardening Information please visit:

Gardening Paradise at www.levsta.com