I love my neighbors. Really, I do, but this has gotten out of control. Remember when I told him to feel free to put the grass clippings into the compost pile. I was grateful for the compost ingredients and didn't want them ending up in the landfill. A couple of days ago, I began turning and sifting my compost pile. I was about half way through this process when neighbor man mowed his lawn again. I found this mess this afternoon. Nice, he covered up my bucket, my compost screen, and a couple of tools.
When I told him he could use the compost pile anytime, I also told him to quit bagging the clippings once he got the lawn short enough that piles of grass clippings would not be laying on top of the grass killing it. Pretty much the instructions are to mow higher and more frequently. I patiently explained that the grass clippings fall down onto the soil, decompose, and create humus. This builds up the soil and feeds the grass. By bagging leaves and grass, we rob the nutrients from the landscape. Leave them if you can and let them decompose. Did he listen, does he have clue? Nope, he has bagged the grass ever since this.
Here is his lawn. Pretty sparse and mostly scrubby.
Here is my lawn. Never fertilized, never watered, and mowed to a little higher level. Oh, and I need to mention, about 1/4 the size of Neighbor Mowing Mans lawn. See the lawn behind ours. The other neighbor has a lawn service who scalps his lawn every two weeks whether it needs it or not. Another lawn no-no we will save for another day.
My husband leaves our grass longer and I'm always telling him to cut it shorter (just because I think it looks nicer), but he really knows what he's doing because our lawn looks great! I have to give credit, where credit is due.
ReplyDeleteHe's right momo. You can see the difference in my lawn and the neighbors. They pay good money to make it look like that. I spend nada.
ReplyDeleteWhat a silly neighbor, you would think he'd want a lawn as nice as yours. When someone has a nice yard they'd do well to follow advise! Our neighbors always used to ask us for advise in our old neighborhood, our lawn was the best in the neighborhood after we revived it. Not quite as nice as it could be now, but we're still getting used to the shady acidic soil.
ReplyDeletecinj, I had revive ours also. Manly Man thought that a harsh fertilizer was necessary. It took two years of natural practices to get it up and healthy.
ReplyDeleteThat bugs the crap out of me. Why don't they see the results and act on it. My neighbor actually kills their grass by piling up the dead grass along the road. The pile kills the grass under it and then you have a big yellow spot.
ReplyDeleteI can't use it in my compost pile because it stinks. Yours must be far enough away or you turn it more often. Do you spread it in your garden one it decomposes?
Anna, it doesn't stink, but it did make a weird thick layer of sticky compost. I have never composted straight lawn clippings before, not sure I like it so much. Kind of like a low carb diet, something seems off kilter.
ReplyDeleteYour lawn looks great Deb. I tried to explain that to my DH, but alas he does the same thing sometimes. :) Nice compost pile!
ReplyDeleteAs usual, I missed the message of the post, I got totally distracted! The minute the first photo started downloading....... OH... MY... GOSH...(I'm gone now) is that a passion vine on the fence???? (Click on photo to enlarge)..... Yes, I recognize those leaves! We had a passion vine that covered the side of the garage years ago. It was my Dad's pride and joy! Did you find it locally somehwere? I saw one on a trellis at a lady's house and stopped and gave her my name and number and told her if she had any baby ones come up I would love to buy one, so I hope next spring to start my own and cover my garage! She said I could come back and photo it, but I haven't got back there yet.
ReplyDeleteOh, did you say something about your compost pile? I must have ADD, or have just been rendered unconscious by a runaway passion vine! OK, I'll go back and concentrate on the WORDS this time!
Ack, gack, the dreaded lawn crewcut! I've never understood how people get sucked in to cutting their grass to the roots, hauling off all the clippings (potential free natural fertilizer), then paying a lawn service or spending big bucks to dump chemical fertilizers on their lawns to compensate for all the nutrients they've thrown out, then having the grass cut back to the roots so it burns and looks hideous, then... Geez, no wonder our economy is wrecked! But I confess, I envy you the grass clippings for your compost, even if they did make a mess. (And you're right, in hot weather, you do need to mix them with shredded paper or some other high-carbon stuff to keep from making an icky, reeking mess.)
ReplyDeleteThanks Racquel, my solution to the husband lawn delima, was to take the job away from him.
ReplyDeleteNola, Yes that is a native blue passion vine. Yes I have babies. If you want one and are going to make it to scarecrow festival, let me know and I will bring you some.
ofb, that stuff was weird. It didn't smell bad, but it was sticky and slick. I just mixed it back in. I don't understand the lawn thing either. Mine takes so little work and looks so much better.
Debbi, I don't think that man has a "lawn." Looks like mowed-down weeds to me. A lawn has green color in these here parts unless you're real lazy and don't bother with it. Course I don't bother with the lawn; let Alfonzo the yard guy do that. I am a garden girl. Have a deathly fear of lawn mowers ever since as a child I watched my grandmother get her finger get chopped off doing something or other with the mower.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Brenda, To him it is a lawn. To me it is a wasteland of dead soil and weeds. OMG- I would hate lawnmowers to if I had seen that. Have I ever shared that I am afraid of electric can openers and pencil sharpeners. No accidents, just unexplained fear.
ReplyDeleteOh man, it stinks like crazy here. You probably have enough other good carbs, like you said, mixed in to make a difference.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to let you know that I'm blogless again. I had so much trouble with that new blog. It shut down on me today and gave me fits. I just figure I'm not cut out to blog...just read them. I'll be back.
I'm glad your son didn't have a complete break. I bet it hurts the same.
Anna
Not again Anna, Please still come by in the comments. We will miss you.
ReplyDelete