We hired a young couple. I walked them around our home and described exactly how I 'liked' things done. Trim here. Cut this down to there. Edge this way and please don't do this - you get the drift.
One of my pet peeves is the height of my St. Augustine grass. I like it cut high. Otherwise it suffers and the roots dry far too quickly.
They're fired.
Sweet Wife has given me instructions....I'm not to work in our yard without adult supervision. So, as she sits in church services with her mother I shall dress in my grubbiest and hit the yard. I've work to do.
Time to sweat.
Stephen
As long as you don't push it too hard, and remember to hydrate ... should be okay. But listen to your body, if it protests.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know. Getting older sucks, but it beats the alternative.
Within fifteen minutes I was soaking wet. Felt good. However I was sane enough to keep a gallon jug of ice water handy. I've learned my lesson. Knocked off around noon today...will hit it again later this afternoon when it cools down to, oh, eighty-even or so....thanks, Bubba.
DeleteIt might mean some adjustments to your power tools, such as lightweight battery powered trimmers, but it can be done. Only hire people for the climbing stuff, such as tree trimming. Get plenty of herbicide, rethink your yard and have fun.
ReplyDeleteJess, nah, thanks. I am still able to handy the heavy stuff. I'm not one of those old pot-bellied bent old timers. Yet. Thanks, my friend.
DeleteMy greatest pet peeve, fear, and stress inducer is someone mowing my St. Augustine grass until there is NO green, scalped good. They all tell me, "But, it won't have to be mowed so often." Yeah, and you will never get another chance because you are killing it.
ReplyDeleteSo, I got out my reel mower and will try to mow it myself. I am kidding myself, but it just made me sooo angry. Plus, the guy neglected to mow within 3 ft of the fence or house. My yard just shrunk!
And, I like the look of St. Augustine grass, so, scalped is not lush. Plus, I love to walk in ankle deep grass.
www.practical-parsimony.blogspot.com
I agree, Linda. You should see my yard...makes me want to, well, shot somebody.
DeleteYou showed great restraint Stephen.I would have wanted to scalp them.But since that would probably be against some law and I hate jail.My first action would be to unleash a string of profanity that would make the devil blush.Then I would fire them.
ReplyDeleteTrust me, if I'd been home I would have scalped them too. Or, at least have given them a fine ass chew. Thanks, my friend.
Deletesweet one - it sounds like you would fit right in around here. we don't know what it is about these people but they mow 2 miles around their houses. every. single. day. they are all nuts. but a good nuts. just weird about their lawns. i have never met such lawn snobs and i lived in ottawa for 26 yrs!?!?!?!!? anyway, you've seen our yard. thank goodness we live on a hill with a steep driveway and thank goodness no one can see our yard or has ever been here. they would kick us out for sure.
ReplyDeletei love walt. i love several copies of walt even better. i have a few copies.
your friend,
kymber
woops. forgot to mention that i have never even heard of St. Augustine grass. checking google pics now.
Deletekymber, my lovely friend, yes, I'd fit right in with your neighbors...the grass was bred for Florida's hot and humid weather...have a good one.
DeleteOh, the scalped yard. We know this one well, but are in a rock and a hard place. See, our 86 year old neighbor like to, occasionally, mow our yard. His settings must be the lowest there are because he scalps it. We've tried gently hinting that we think his setting must be too low and told him countless times not to worry about our yard. Hubs is late twenties perfectly capable, and does our yard on a weekly basis. Yet, he comes along anyway, says it keeps him fit. And if hubs mows their yard, he instantly wants to repay the kindness. Tough corner we're backed into, can't be stern with the sweetest eighty year old neighbors.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, that's a tough one. Maybe one of your beautiful deserts presented with a few carefully chosen words....
DeleteI hear ya Stephen...I grow St. Augustine also...the Flortam variety, which is more drought tolerant. Yep, and one has to cut it high to keep it alive in the heat of the summer. I think it looks nicer anyway when it's cut high.
ReplyDeleteI hired a guy through my brother to do my yard, as I was worried about overdoing it with my high BP. He cut it one time, and did a nice job; especially with the weedeating. I told him I wanted it done every two weeks. My brother called the next week saying that the guy wanted to cut it again. I repeated every two weeks, and the guy said it would be too long by then. So I canned him. I went back to doing it myself.
As far as my BP, I just slowed down my pace. My lovely wife said "what's your hurry? You're up at six on Saturday, just walk slower pushing your mower."
It worked. BP fine. I am fine. Seems there are alternatives.
My wife said too, slow down. I have. It bugs me. Flortam grows in my yard too...sadly it's now ugly.
DeleteIf they were a professional lawn company, they should know that St.Augustine grass should be cut between 3.5 inches, fall and spring, and up to 5 inches in the heat of summer for water retention during hot summer days and to suppress weed growth. Sorry to hear of the scalping.
ReplyDeleteI should have my head examined for hiring them...oh well.
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