Boycott Lawns

Not Much Of A Problen In AZ, 80% Of Yards Are Gravel. But I Hear What You're Saying, Man.

 

It definitely makes a difference where you live. I just got back from kayaking the Grand Canyon. In Arizona they don't have the problems I do with grass and weeds growing out of control, but if you use a mower, try using a scythe instead. They're pretty freakin' cool, they work great, they're easy to use and maintain, cheaper than a mower, and they don't burn gas.

Check it out:
http://www.scythesupply.com/

 

scything is awesome. Done right, it's not exhausting, either. It's meditative, kind of like rhythm dancing.

That's something I've always wondered...why does it seem that people are taught that to do things the 'hard' and often unsustainable way is the 'better' way?

I mean like gardening...I lay down sheets of newspaper, dump down buckets of mature compost, and plant in that. Why dig? why waste gas tilling? why support all the crap that isn't really needed?

Bone that, I'm lazy enough that I want to enjoy my free time.

Or as my gramma said 'if I want something done, I'll give it to a lazy man. He'll do it right the first time, because he doesn't want to do it twice, and you can bet he'll find the most efficient way of doing it.'

it's why I don't do anything except trot over the lawn with a reel mower (same one for 8 years, and it doesn't crap out on me) and then trim up around the edges with a hand sickle. Once I have more 'grassy area' I'm definitely going to be picking up a scythe myself.

 

That's what the corporations who run the media want us all to believe, it's a conspiracy I'm tellin' ya.

Some of the happiest people I know are the simplest, who seem the least prosperous by main stream society's standards.

A scythe is easier on the back than a weed whacker, and much easier on the environment, and the ears.

 

I fertilized my lawn this spring. I feel the money went to a good cause. Cows are wonderful gifts from God, feeding people in many ways. Be it a steak on a poor mans table, fresh veggies in the garden, or milk from a momma cow. I fertilize my lawn and promote healthy food in the proccess.

I see no waste in rainwater, which has little use anyway. It goes into the ground, feeds my plants, and evaporates going elsewhere. Even water from the well goes back into the water cycle, like any other water.

I see little waste in mowing my lawn. After it goes to seed I mow it, making it come up thicker, greener, and much more beautiful. We have plenty of oil, and it replenishes itself over time like any other resource. There is no evidence that fossile gas goes to the "Ice Age" any more than eating a can of beans. That does not worry me.

Why not take care of a lawn?

 

Depends on how you take care of it, and what effect that has on the environment. I'm sure there are ways to have an amazing lawn without too much intervention, and if you can use locally available products like cow manure, that kicks ass.

Nothing wrong with that.

'Just ordered a scythe, with a grass blade and a ditch blade, cost me less than a mower with no moving parts and no petroleum to burn. My goal is to eliminate the mower altogether, cut the grass, and harvest it for our goats.

 

I live in Colorado why should I conserve water? So L.A. California gets more? Lol

I think personal lawns are kind of wasteful but I love public lawns. It is fun to play freebee and lay back on a nice patch of grass. I lived in the mountains for years and there was mostly rocks and dirt so I really appreciate a nice patch of lawn.

But a big personal lawn is a waste IMO.

 

wow, that makes alot of sense. i never thought of it that way.

 

yeah, over millions of years.

 

I use a hand push mower and it saves on gym memberships and by doing so I work with nature, instead of against it, and I get a a super healthy lawn too.....

 

yep, and the oil used to manufacture, ship and maintain the hand mower is far less than to manufacture, ship, maintain and fuel any gas mower.

Not to mention, I can be respectful of my neighbors, even IF i decide to mow at 9pm or 5 am. (when it's cool enough to mow here)

 

It hasn't been there millions of years to get to the vast amount that it already is. Only a few thousand.

We know that our planet is made from rubble. We know the aproximate age. Now assuming there was no oil in that bit of rubble we would know that it has only taken a very short time for an unknown source to break down into oil.

Of course there could have been oil before that. It is possible. But we only know that there was rubble. We can't be sure that there were animals of any kind. But then that leaves the possibility that our "fossile fuels" aren't made of fossiles at all.

I'll stop here since I'm way off topic. Excuse me.

 

I don't really see a reason to boycott lawns, but I think that we can certainly boycott the chemical fertilizers, weed killers and insecticides, all of which wind up in runoff, and then our waterways. We can boycott the motorized lawnmowers, save for the most outlandish and difficult things (like brushcutting) and use things that require a few drops of oil rather than a gallon or more of gas and a cup of oil per run.

The way I see it, I get 30 mpg in my car. hmm. That much less that I have to buy. Hmm. The exercise does me good, and the tools are (for me) easier to maintain and use. (I have arthritis and Fibromyalgia, so the vibrations from even a small gas mower cause all kinds of aches pains and problems for me, while a scythe or a reel mower are much easier to use.)
Not to mention the tools are cheaper to buy to begin with. (my reel mower cost me 89$, + 10 for shipping. The hand sickle for weeding cost me $15 + 3.50 for shipping.)

 

I'm doing my part in boycotting lawns. I have trees, flowers and a vegatable garden where most people would have grass.

 

And that would be why I have corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, cantaloupe, watermelon and garlic growing in my backyard. lol.

 

by "cool weeds" do you mean pot? Also, I agree.

 

man, if I could, I would.

 

Mmm, pot, you can mix it in with the other veggies in your back yard if you're careful, plant it next to the basil or oregano.

I'm still waiting on the scythe, they're making the handle from my measurements, I'll give y'all the report when it arrives.

Meanwhile, my sorry excuse for a lawn is getting pretty long, I hope the scythe gets here soon, or I might be forced to fire up the m..mo....

...nah, not yet, I'm holdin' out, damnit...

 

mellow- just remember sharp=easier, peen and hone before you think you need to, and don't let your tip dip or you'll gouge the ground, jar your arms and possibly crack the blade.

but you probably know that already...lol

 

Good stuff, thanks.