On Wed, 11 May 2011 13:09:35 -0500, DougC
wrote:

On 5/11/2011 12:33 PM, rangerssuck wrote:
On May 11, 10:28 am, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

So, I get more than a whole year's worth of mowing from one set of
blades, and a new set of three is about $40. For me, at least, it's
worth it to get that "golf course" look in the front of my property.

Aside from the golf course look, what benefit do you derive from your
lawn? In my mind, the grass in front of my house is nothing more than
a weed. It serves no purpose whatsoever. If it was up to me, we'd be
growing edible vegetables instead (our vegetable garden is in the back
yard).
.....
Here are some thoughts about the tremendous waste of resources and
money that go into a putting green front yard: http://www.primalseeds.org/lawns.htm

Some people have HOAs that say how the lawn must be maintained.

My [small] yard is crabgrass though. I think I sharpened the blade up a
bit in 2009. I use Roundup on the difficult edges so trimming with a
weedeater is not necessary. The weedeater is a 2-stroke, but it's not
the emmisions I care so much about--it's that since fuel left in the
weeder will always foul the carb, it has to be drained after every use
for it to start properly next time. Too much craptane in modern fuels
anymore.

I've heard the fix is to use pure gasoline, none of the alcohol crap.
But I've never had a problem year to year with gasoline or gas/oil mix
for 2-strokes. They only go bad after several years for me. Maybe I
hold my mouth right.


I like to call lawn care "recreational farming".
Suburban people spend money on little machines and irrigation and
chemicals to plant, raise and harvest a tiny crop--that they don't
really do anything with. But they have fun with the challenge, and it
keeps them in the suburbs where they belong.

g


Eventually I plan to move to the US desert southwest, and my lawn is
going to be rocks and dirt. I'm just fine with that, quite frankly.
Among the highest form of comedies is people who move to a desert and
then spend money trying to grow a green lawn.

A client wants me to rent a turf cuter for her yard next week and I'm
going to bring it to my house afterward and take the front yard turf
out. It'll all be perennials and bark some day soon! I abhor grass.
I'm allergic to it and it takes time and money and sweat to maintain.
I bought a copy of _The Wild Lawn Handbook_ last year and will start
on mine this year.

--
Woe be to him that reads but one book.
-- George Herbert