Zen and the Art of Lawn Maintenance

Before buying our property, we were perplexed as to why country people had such large yards, and in particular why they would spend hours each week mowing them. What could they possibly do with such a large yard anyway?

But then we bought our property, and along with it came an old ride-on lawn mower. At first the lawn was ignored. It didn’t look that bad letting it grow. But then brother Don came out one day, and despite the boiling hot weather he was determined to get the grass cut. We got the old lawn tractor going, Don jumped on, and began cutting neat patterns around the property, and for all appearances seemed to be quite enjoying himself in the process. When he was done, the yard did indeed look so much better. Of course, ten days or so later that “cared-for look” had vanished, and it was time for me to cut the lawn. I got the tractor going, and as I made those first few circles around the yard, a feeling of satisfaction enveloped me. With good hearing protectors, it was almost peaceful. Unlike so many jobs, there was instant gratification – what had been ragged, was suddenly manicured. Comparing what had been cut to what hadn’t, I couldn’t wait to get the next round done. When it was finished a few hours later, it was a joy to look over the property, and I felt certain that anyone driving by couldn’t help but think “Wow, that yard is beautiful”.

Now, every week I look forward to that pleasure. Oddly, for a noisy job, it gives you a sense of peace and tranquility. While you’re out there, you’re free from the rest of the world – no phones, no interruptions. And when you have some other less enjoyable chores to do, it’s easy to put them off saying, “Oh, looks like rain tomorrow, better cut the grass today. And when the result is so beautiful, who can argue with you?

Postscript - Turns out the inherited lawn tractor was at the end of its lifespan, and in the spring of 2022 we upgraded to a Husqvarna ride-on mower with a 54 inch deck, a definite step up from the old 42 inch one.