#lawn-mowing

[johnschneiderblog]

The circle game

I’m noticing more and more mowed lawns in my neighborhood - a sure sign that the days of my recalcitrance are numbered. I know that once I climb aboard the mowing-go-round, there’s no getting off it for six months.

So it makes sense, the way I see it, to stall as long as possible before launching what will become a weekly ritual. What’s more, mowing stimulates growth, which necessitates more mowing, which stimulates growth ...

And that’s not just an old wives tale. I looked it up. Grass really does grow faster after it’s cut as it tries to recover its genetic norm. In response to the reduced surface area of each blade, it grows faster to maximize photosynthesis.

[morganbritton132]

Dustin posts a Tiktok where it’s very clear that he was going to say something important but was instantly distracted by the snippet of conversation walking (unannounced) through his front door.

Eddie: …like when you’re a kid and you didn’t understand the concept of death so you kept putting bugs in your pockets and killing them on accident.

Steve: That’s not a universal experience, Eddie.

Eddie: Yes, it is. Everybody did that. You did that when you were a kid.

Steve: You think I was putting bugs in my clothes???

Eddie: Yes??? Just like everybody else. Back me up, Henderson

Dustin: I created habitats for bugs and kept them in my room.

Steve: That’s why your cat got eaten.

[mr-shockwave]

hes bored to no end but he does his share of housework regardless

[nipuni]

DONEEEEEEEEE 😭❤️ I finished the game!! now I need to put my thoughts together so I can talk about it and process everything, and also make dinner, I'll get back to you soon!!

[ohblimeygeorge]

George back at it with his lawn mowing lore

[thatsbelievable]

[lucyllawless]

#xena definitely owns multiple "happy wife, happy life" t-shirts

[powerfulkicks]

so many tips for budgeting/being frugal are just twice as hard when you have a disability

"meal plan!" idk if i'll be feeling well enough to cook every day so it's hard to plan for what to eat

"cook in advance!" i can't cook meals for a whole week at once and plus i can't count on that because again idk if ill feel okay to cook at the same time every week

"use cloth napkins and towels!" those need to be washed and folded, i already have trouble doing my laundry

"delivery is expensive, always shop in person!" going to the grocery store can wipe me out for the day.

"base your food shopping on whats on sale that week!" one, allergies are a thing and some people don't have that luxury, two, that's a lot that you have to prep for and that takes energy.

"DIY!" takes time and energy. maybe i could do it by myself but would it be worth all the time i need to take to recover?

i mean none of these are bad ideas or trying to exclude people. most of it is cutting out conveniences. but for disabled people, something that's a convenience for someone can be a necessity to others

[heliotrope155]

I do believe in my soul that if DeanCas got a place it's an apartment and they are the worst upstairs, adjacent, below, whatever neighbours of all time. Music blasts at all hours, you're ninety percent sure there were gunshots once, they have vaguely satanic symbols on their door, they cannot keep the story of how they met straight, a very serious man with crazy hair in just a trenchcoat asked once to borrow a cup of salt, there's a perpetual parade of random people you've never seen before insisting they're some kind of relation and asking to be buzzed up, and their loud arguments become everyone's problem, prompting someone to leave very pointed print outs on the complex's shared bulletin board with a step by step outline of how to fix their latest dispute even for repressed maniacs.

[wearmanyhats]

I was contacted late last year for permission to typeset my silly baby robots story for a fanbinding. I was somewhat aware of fanbinding and have an admiration of the art of bookbinding in general, so I happily gave my blessing. Hey, if someone likes my writing enough to commit an act of craftwork about it, I say full steam ahead. In my opinion it's the highest honor a work of fanfiction can receive.

Fast forward to now. @catspawbindery has gifted me this gorgeous tome.

Y'all.

Sweet shiny Primus is this thing gorgeous.

Just look at the quality and care that went into this. It's so well made and wonderful to hold.

I had (am still having, when spacetime allows) so much fun writing this series, despite/because-of its cracky premise, and seeing it manifest as a physical object is delightfully surreal. I'm going to find a prominent place to display it in the room where I do most of my writing so it can spur me on. Hopefully someday right next to it will be the first hardcover of Scoundrel.

(Don't worry, she is a very gentle pup and no damage occurred.)

Amyda, it's beautiful. Thank you so much. I can't stop grinning.

[str8upjorkinit]

middlescholers sholeo..

sho's first bike that he bought with his own hard earned money

[stopthatfool]

i know he snores like a fucking beast. i know it wakes everybody up. and i know he falls asleep in a matter of seconds. so you can't even fall asleep before him. you can't beat him. honk shoooo honk shooo head ass. i want him fucking dead. tucking him in bed all nice and warm as i type this.

[odinsblog]

2014

2023

[olowan-waphiya]

1 hr (gas) lawn mower use = driving 300 miles from LA to Vegas

1 hr (gas) leaf blower use = driving 1100 miles from LA to Denver

This is because while gas efficiency has improved leaps and bounds for cars, the motors used in lawn mowers and leaf blowers have not changed much in the last 50 years. leaf blowers also blast other forms of particulate matter around, adding immensely to air pollution.

as long as they arent in the walkway, feel free to leave the leaves as they are free compost and protection for insects.

procrastinate mowing as long as you can—use an electric one if you must (many cities are starting to do rebates or replacements). and you can similarly leave the grass clippings as compost.

[anipgarden]

Un-Actions, or Restriction of Activities

This is my first post in a series I’ll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps! 

There’s a good handful of ways you can help increase biodiversity in your yard that don’t require buying things--in fact, these may actually help you save money in the long run! They may seem small and simple, but every bit counts! Whether you can do these in totality, or just limit how often you do these actions, it’ll make a difference.

Not Mowing, or Mowing Less Often

Turf grass lawns are considered a monoculture, meaning they don’t provide much opportunity for insects to find habitat--so few other creatures find them enjoyable either. An expanse of turf grass is, in many ways, a barren wasteland in the eyes of wildlife--too exposed to cross, with few to no opportunities for food or shelter, leaving them exposed to blazing hot sun, freezing cold, or any predators that may be lurking nearby. A place to be avoided. The simple act of letting your grass grow unbothered gives a chance for wildflowers to grow, and for your grass to grow taller--providing more habitat for insects, which then provides more habitat to birds and other creatures that feed on said insects. Wildlife want nothing more than to skirt by unnoticed, so even leaving the grass tall along the edges of a fence or yard can help a little. Even restricting mowing to every other week, or at a higher blade setting, can be a huge help. If HOAs or city ordinances are fussy about lawn length in the front yard, you can likely still keep grass higher in the backyard. Or, you can create a ‘feature’ where grass is allowed to grow long in a specific area. If it looks purposeful, people are more likely to accept it. Not mowing under trees or close to shrubs not only leaves space for wildflowers to grow, but also means you don’t have to deal with mowing over bumpy roots and other difficulties. Cutting different areas at different times can be an option for letting grass grow long in some areas while still having available places for play and entertainment. I’ve seen some people plant flower bulbs when pulling up weeds, so in the future they'll bloom in early spring before mowing is usually necessary. This could be another fun way of adding biodiversity to a lawn without--or before you--begin mowing in spring.

Not worrying about mowing, or doing it less often, saves you in time, money, and energy. You won’t have to buy as much gasoline for your mower, and Saturday afternoons can be free to be enjoyed in other ways aside from being sticky and sweaty and covered in grass stains. In addition, you’ll likely be lowering your own carbon emissions!

If you do have to mow your lawn, I’ve got ways you can use your grass clippings to boost biodiversity later in the post series!

Not using pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.

One of the next-biggest non-actions you can do asides from not mowing is using fewer fewer to no herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides in your yard. This’ll easily allow for more biodiversity. Allowing more insects and a wide array of plants to thrive will feed back into the entire food chain in your area. In addition, these types of chemicals have been tied to algae blooms, death of beneficial insects, harm to birds, fish, and even humans. Soil is supposed to be full of fungi, especially fungal mycelium that essentially acts as a network for plants to communicate, share nutrients, and support each other--fungicide kills that, and typically makes all other lawn problems even worse in a negative feedback loop. It may take awhile to see the benefits of avoiding these chemicals, but once you see it, it really is astounding.

However! I can’t lie and say that there haven’t been points where I needed to use pesticides at some points in my gardening journey. In these cases, try to use products that are organic--like diatomaceous earth, neem oil, etc--and use them accurately, correctly, and sparingly. Follow instructions on how to apply them safely and responsibly--for example, on non-windy days and during times when bees and other pollinators aren’t likely to be out and about. With some pests (read: oleander aphids, in my experience), a simple jetstream of water is enough to force them off the plant where they’ll be too weak to get back. Eventually, you should have a balanced enough ecosystem that no one insect pest causes a major issue with the work you’re doing to boost biodiversity.

If you can bear to, try handling pests manually. Squishing pest bugs in your hand is a pretty foolproof way to get rid of some problems, or spraying them with a mix of soap and water can do the trick on some insects. Alternatively, picking them off your plants and into a bucket of soapy water is also a valid option. You’ve heard of baptism by fire, now get ready for… baptism by soap?

But also! Try reconsidering what you consider a pest! Tomato hornworms are hated by gardeners, for devouring the foliage of beloved tomato, pepper, and potato plants. But killing the tomato and tobacco hornworm means getting rid of sphinx moths, also known as hummingbird or hawk moths! Hawk moths are vital to the survival of many native plants, and are sometimes even the only species that pollinates them. If you can bear to, consider sacrificing a few tomato plants, or growing a few extras, so we can continue having these beautiful moths for years to come. After all, they may not even do significant damage to the plants!

With that in mind, be friendly to your natural pest managers! Lacewings, ladybugs, praying mantises, wasps, birds, bats, and more will help manage pest populations in your environment! Encourage them by planting things they like, providing habitat, and leaving them be to do their work! Avoiding pesticides helps make your garden a livable environment for them, too!

Letting Weeds Grow

Many of the plants we know as 'weeds' are actually secondary succession species and native wildflowers. Milkweed was regarded as a noxious, annoying weed for a long time, and now people are actively trying to plant them after learning about the important role they play in our environments! Weeds are adapted to take over areas that have been cleared out of other plants after a disaster, so they're doing much of the initial work in making a habitat for other creatures. In fact, many of them will simply die back as the environment repairs itself.

An important thing to note is to please make sure that your ‘weeds’ are not invasive species. Work on learning how to identify native and invasive species in your area, and pull out what’s harmful to leave room for what’s good!

Don’t Rake (Or At Least Don’t Bag Your Leaves)

Many insects overwinter in piles of leaves that we often rake away and bag up in the fall and winter. By doing this, we are actively throwing away the biodiversity of our neighborhoods! If you can, leave the leaves where they fall! 

If you do need to rake, put the leaves in places wildlife can still access it instead of bagging it up. Move your leaves into garden beds to serve as mulch, or along the edge of fences to rest while keeping egg cases and hiding bugs intact and free to release come spring.

Leave Snags Where They Are

Snags are dead trees/dead branches on living trees. They provide an important wildlife habitat--many birds nest in them, or use them to seek cover from rain, and many insects will also live in snags (making them an additional food source for birds and other creatures). Tree cavities are used as nests by hundreds of bird species in the US, and many mammals use them as well, such as bats, squirrels, raccoons, and sometimes even bears. Some trees form cavities while they’re still alive, but in conifers they’re more likely to form after death. Crevices between the trunk of a dead tree and its peeling bark provide sun protection for bats and amphibians, and leafless branches make great perching areas for birds of prey to hunt from above. The decaying wood is home to insects and fungi, who then feed birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.  Do check on the snags regularly to ensure they don’t serve a threat to any nearby structures, but whenever possible, leave them be! 

Keep Your Cat Inside

If you have an outdoor cat, consider making the adjustments to have it be an indoor cat. If you have an indoor cat, keep it as an indoor cat. Free ranging cats impact biodiversity through predation, fear effects, competition for resources, disease, and more. Keeping little Mittens inside does a lot more to help than it may seem from the outside.

That’s the end of this post! My next one’s gonna be on things you can add to your space that aren’t directly related to growing plants. For now, I hope this advice helps! Feel free to reply with any questions, success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in! 

[plantanarchy]

listen i love and grow and appreciate native plants as much as any plant ecology nerd but good god the energy of a lot of native plant discussion on social media continues to be so............ much