Cutting the Grass
Sounds like what traffickers do when they get a new shipment, but no, I was just mowing the lawn for the first time this season. Exciting and glamorous, no? Well, yes, simply because it was such a beautiful day to be outside. Our cranky old hand-me-down gas-powered mower finally died, so I used the Brill Luxus 38, a nice little push mower. Took all of about 10 minutes.
Being outside under the trees reminded me that I forgot to post about the last tree planting. I did write about our outing to help plant trees for UC Green, but this time it was a local neighborhood effort. I took pictures, of course, and actually helped dig a hole. That was two weeks ago and I still haven’t recovered from the exertion. After a long winter of inactivity, I’m a pasty blob of untoned flesh. Actually I’m that way all summer, too.
Unlike the UC Green trees which were balled-and-burlapped, weighed 300 pounds, and cost $200 each, these were bare root and cost a tenth of that. They were much easier to handle, of course, but because they were bare root, they had to be planted (“heeled in”) in loose soil as soon as they arrived. On the day people came to pick up their tree, each tree was dug up and the roots were dipped in hydrogel to keep them moist.
The roots were dipped in hydrogel, then wrapped in a plastic bag for the short trip to the tree's new home.
This Burley trailer was probably the most practical method anyone used to take their tree home.
Two generations of trees living side by side.
Comments
Fortunately, and unfortunately at the same time, I do not have to cut our grass here. That is taken care of. I remember cutting my family's lawn when I was a kid, and it was a great time to think about things by yourself.
Great job on planting the tree.
Posted by Colin D. Devroe on April 16, 2006 at 7:30 PM
I've always wanted one of those old school blade rotary cutters. But who sharpens those anymore?
Posted by albert on April 16, 2006 at 11:48 PM
Albert, it's a new school mower with disposable blades that are supposed to last at least ten years. At the rate we use it, it will probably last a lifetime. For way too much information on this mower, check out the garden section.
Posted by Tony on April 17, 2006 at 7:13 AM
We had a push mower for most of my LA childhood (although near-constant drought conditions made the amount of grass pretty paltry). I remember being about 2 1/2 and watching my very pregnant mom trying to do the front lawn with that thing. Our 83 year old neighbor, Mrs. Bobo, came flying down her front steps yelling at my mom to stop mowing, that she was going to send herself into labor. I actually think that was the point of the exercise, but there was no arguing with Mrs. Bobo.
Posted by Marisa on April 18, 2006 at 11:24 PM