A beautiful grass lawn shows pride in one's home and neighborhood. "Protecting our home turf" is part of the lexicon and that's precisely what many of us do in the literal sense. We not only mow it religiously, we feed it, weed it, and baby it. We worry about it! We spend a lot of money on it, either at the hardware store, when we "do it ourselves," or with a lawn care service we hire out. And what would we talk about during those interminable summer barbecue gatherings if it weren't for lawn care and the trials and tribulations thereof! Lawn is a virtual touchstone of suburban living.
Lawn mowing is a ritual so deeply embedded in the psyche that the first time we are allowed to mow the lawn is a rite of passage -- as is the first time we hire someone to mow for us because we're getting on in years. How many of us had our first introduction to mechanics by tinkering with the lawnmower? Our first introduction to entrepreneuring by mowing lawns? Our first introduction to escapism by donning headphones and setting out to mow alone and uninterrupted for hours?
Zen and the art of mowing may stretch things a bit, but I do challenge you to update your knowledge base about lawns and lawn care and reexamine what you are doing to care for your lawn. There is a lot of excellent NEW information "out there" and we all could benefit from it. Regardless of where we fall on the continuum of lawn care, be it closer to the absolute putting green ideal or to the basic "mow it and forget it" scheme.
Lawn care is an infinitely complex topic and there are a myriad sites on the Web. (If you have a favorite, PLEASE tell me about it!) Whether you are a pro or a beginner in your first home, I suggest you start by getting up to speed on the current information and research. There has been a lot of research lately on grass types and lawn care, and the old standby K-31 is no longer "where it's at". Not by a long shot!
If you are new to lawn care or feel like a "quick start" refresher course might be in order, try this short list for lawn care maintenance. It even includes useful links to tips like that ever-elusive "Pattern for Efficient Mowing."
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