My new neighbor, Henry, a fresh-eyed kid (well, he's actually 27, but he looks 17 years old), bought a new lawn. It was delivered and unrolled a month ago, and now looks as thick as a plush carpet. Not a single square inch of grass is marred by weeds, brown spots, or violets.It's a lovely lawn. In fact, it is the envy of the neighborhood.
Scan one yard over, and you will observe my lawn. I like to call it a safe haven for all living creatures: birds, dandelions, rabbits, moles, voles, and the predators who feast upon them. Right now the violets have taken over, and some lovely white star-like flowers are taking hold. When I mow this weekend, my lawn will look uniform and green - for about 24 hours. Then the differences between my yard and Henry's lawn will become apparent again. By Friday my lawn will be bursting with texture and color, whereas Henry's will remain green and uniform.
Once upon a time, I too had yard service like Henry's. The men came every week, spraying, fertilizing, clipping, and edging. In those days, my lawn stopped my neighbors dead in their tracks to exclaim over its uniform beauty. But lawn service became one of the earliest casualties of my divorce. Now I am proud of my yard's natural state. From a distance it looks green and tidy. From up close, well, it looks colorful and alive.I don't mind the sorry state of my lawn any more, being too busy to care. But I sure appreciate looking at Henry's.
4 comments:
I know your feeling my dear. I am inheriting quite a large lawn myself. I have fertilized it twice already all by my little old self. But I have a long way to go until I get a lawn like Henry's. I, too have limited resources post divorce and have had to learn how to improvise with the best of them.
I have to say though, I'm enjoying working in the yard far more than I would have ever imagined before. That will only probably last until the first triple digit temperature day, and at that point I'll probably give in and let the weeds have the yard until the temp goes back down in about January.
I'm sure the little rodents and insects that reside in your yard are more than happy. So, natural is good. Also, I’m dying to ask: is Henry cute? I’m sorry, I had to ask. We gay men are terrible; I know. :)
Henry is adorable, Marius. I could just pinch him. Finally a neighbor with likely prospects (a house and a job!) But he just got engaged to an equally adorable counterpart of the female persuasion. Life isn't fair.
Not a single square inch of grass is marred by weeds, brown spots, or violets.
when i read that, i thought "just wait" until i continued to find the lawn service.
we also unrolled a lawn a few years back, after reworking the back garden, laying new paths, building a wall, adding and enclosing some perennial beds. it was gorgeous, luxurious, so invitingly green.
but we abhor poisons and fast acting fertilizers, so we sprinkled it with our usual and now it looks like the rest of our lawn, thick with clover and wild strawberries and grasses of a slightly different hue and texture. oh well. a varied lawn is an interesting lawn. still, i'd creep over to henry's on a still night and bury my bare toes in his green carpet. then i'd go home feeling just a bit smug and superior to those so invested in outward appearances ;-) i am nothing if not a mass of contradictions and justifications for same.
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