Zen & The Art Of Lawn Maintenance

A basic guide on how to mow your lawn like a zen rock garden & why you would even want to. Quickly look out your window at your lawn. Is it boring? Why not transform what grass you have into an extension of the life within and without of your lawn? And while you are add it, why not add in some food or medicinal herbs? After taking time to make your lawn more than just some grass growing out there, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and peace.

The art of mowing your lawn like a zen garden is something I noticed while a young kid, mowing lawns around the neighborhood for small change. It was quite simple to just mow back & forth, in straight lines, but I noticed that the older gentlemen where rolling around in circles on their riding lawn-mowers. And then I saw the grass. It looked, well, like it was supposed to! A wonderful thought came to me... what if I added this around and around technique, even though I had a put mower, and could I not, because I had a push mower, add even more maneuverability, and thus more definition to this technique. And so I committed myself, and to this day, I cannot mow a single lawn without mowing in tune with not only the outer objects, but the objects within the lawn's boundaries themselves.

Just what to do?
So, as you start at , lets say where the corner of the lawn meets the walkway to your front door, start mowing the outer edge, moving around, tracing the outline of your yard. If you are using a gas or electric mower with an out chute, make sure you are pointing the scraps and cuttings chute away from the yard, not into it. If you encounter any trees, shrubs, or planting boxes, or lets say, your mailbox, add that to the tracing you are creating. Now, slowly spiral your way inward, one outline at a time. As you encounter new objects, treat them with the same respect as your mailbox, and add them into the entire groove of it all. Eventually, you will get to the point where there is no lawn left. At this point, either turn off the mower and wheel it out, or pick up the reel mower and carry it out of the yard. Now get a sweet tea, lemonade, beer, or whatever, sit back, and notice how great your yard looks!

So, next time you want to add some fun to the chore of mowing, try focusing on all the things within and without of your yard. Add more texture and life into your life!

Garden Party Extravaganza!

The Garden Party Extravaganza was a huge success! Harkening back to the old fashioned barn-raising type get togethers, twelve adults, eight kids, and three dogs all got together for a productive celebration of community, friendship, spirituality, and fun. Punctuated by delicious steak kabobs, a huge bowl of fresh salad, and mouth-watering homemade potato chips, smiles and seeds flew in a frenzy. Occasional bamboo stick battles and a fairy with a squirt gun aside, the labyrinth garden bed, as well as the squash triskelion garden bed got turned out and planted. Wine & home-brewed beer accented the palates as the day drew to an evening bonfire brouhaha. With the gardens planted, fences mended, and the solar eclipse looming ahead for the next day, guitars were brought out and a good foot-tapping fireside sing-along ensued. All things accounted for, the Garden Party Extravaganza was a huge success! Yes, I repeated myself...... now,..... what's on everybody else's agenda that would require many hands and many smiles.....