Do You Use Plans?

I think they turn into mower zombies. "Must mow everything. Must mow everything."

I've found mower eating stakes made from 2x4s to be the most effective deterrent for mower zombies. "Must not hit big stake and kill mower. Must not hit big stake and kill mower."

sally,

You can digress all you want! You have a gift for really uncanny humor.......a way of looking at life with a grin....

I LOVE it! G.

I've been known to hide, er...place... large rocks close to plants I don't want him to get near with that blasted tractor. My plans do not include the use of massive power tools lol!

ldy, sounds like my husband. I think I just need a sign "DO NOT MOW THIS↓"

Not to pick on the guys, but I really do think it's a guy thing. My father used to do the same thing and he was such a perfectionist, you can't imagine him not paying attention and mowing over stuff but he did it all the time.

I've found I have to have something tall enough - 3 feet or so - and thick enough to be plainly visible to make sure things don't get mowed down. So I'm afraid I'd need boulders, not rocks.

He even fussed and said he couldn't see the foot tall, bright fire engine red dog tie out. I can see it from 50 feet away. I'm sure he can too but on the lawnmower, it's invisible. LOL

I think their minds wander while they are mowing and that's why they mow stuff over.

Maybe we should put in some things to keep them alert - some jumps, an obstacle course, a stop for a round of miniature golf. I think jumps would be way cool.

What a great idea!

ROFLOLMBO!!!

Jim would for sure stop for a round of miniature golf.

I'm going to be giggling the rest of the night.

haha! Randy would stop for golf too, might be the only thing to get him to stop. it amazes me because when I mow the grass I 'see' the moths trying to get out of the way, so I wait. I see the brown snakes and toads moving, heck I even see the grand daddy long legs passing and will wait for them to cross. I know I sound like a nut, but hey I brake for woolly bears!!

The plan has been to keep an area between the gardens and the woods mown so that they don't tangle with each other. He however sees mowing as an adventure and goes full throttle through everything!

My DH is almost as involved in the veggie garden and grounds as I am; I do all the planning and then he helps make it happen. So it's not just a guy thing, or maybe he's the exception that proves the rule. Our lawn crew - there's another story. DH had a knee replacement a few years ago and our son arranged for a friend of his with a lawn service to take care of the yard, and it's so cheap and there's so much else to do around here that we've kept them on. But even if we mark something with a red flag they sometimes mow it over - roses, even. You'd think they'd be pretty obvious. When they first started I had planted a sundial garden with an annual mixture of French flowers, and they mowed the whole thing down. It was set off with rocks and everything. Oh well, they're not rocket scientists and they get the job done, at least.

LOL, one of the things I'm always trying to avoid killing are the Praying Mantis! My friend used to have a landscaping company who mowed down and weed whacked a lot of her smaller shrubs. She stuck flags in to identify them, showed them them the things to avoid and they continued to mow them down! She eventually fired them but she lost quite a few things during the few months they were there :(

Since we've veered toward gripes of lawn mowing does anyone have this problem? I don't know about you but when I mow I always mow so the grass blows away from the edge of the gardens. Drives me crazy because Rick doesn't pay attention to these "details", whichever direction he's headed is good enough for him and most of the time it's in the WRONG direction, i.e. blowing all the grass INTO the gardens!

I have learned that grass gets 'thrown" more in one direction than the other. I bet it has to do with which way the blade rotates.....
Like--if i am mowing the first "strip" along a sidewalk, I make sure the grass is on my left--the sidewalk on my right.
That way there is less to sweep up.

Mower science? Heh? Gita

yup I mow away from the garden edges and the POND! OMG does it ever drive me nuts when he blows the stuff right into the pond and don't even get me started about the leaves in the fall lol!

The irony is in soo many other things he is so attentive to details, I mean you could not ask for a better woodworker or diy guy. We built the all season room his design together and it's beautiful. He's made some stunning Greene and Greene style furniture which talk about the little details!

Yet put that man around plants and nature and it's like something shuts off lol.. I swear I say "watch your feet" a hundred times when he's 'helping' me with something!

All our mowers are mulching mowers so I haven't had the thrown grass problem, not to where it bugs me at any rate.

He certainly hasn't mown down whole flower beds! What idiots.

Oh, the feet. I forgot about those. Goodness yes. LOL

Ric is pretty good but sometimes he blows grass into the ponds and beds. Last year after I reminded him about the EE just emerging he ran over it with the wheels of the mower. I haven't mowed the grass for years but last week I mowed so now I'm thinking maybe a little grass in the pond isn't that bad. LOL

Did we say this? What about the trouble of finding the same assortment of plants all at the same time as a plan calls for?
A friend did some Springhill perennial garden assortment and seemed pretty pleased but I wouldn't buy anything from them. And the planned assortement would only fill a space you set aside not relaly make a whole 'plan'

I found this place, Mid Atlantic Natives that sells collections https://midatlanticnatives.com/Garden_Collections.html
Not your typical sort but they at least have good plants in them! I can't imagine going to the nursery and trying to find the plants like that. I do know that my one local nursery is willing to work with you like they do with landscapers and will order plants for you and have them there to pick up when you arrive. They also give a % off if you spend so much in the year!

I remember someone telling me that when they first started a new garden that they went to the nursery every other week and bought whatever was in bloom at the time. That way they had a constant show of blooms in their garden. They bought several of each plant to spread around. By the end of the first year they had a really good start on a new garden. Some local nurseries will put together a plan for you at no charge and they will be looking at what they have available to sell you.

Now that's a great idea Holly! Good to remember for next year!