A cut above - grass management

8:20am Friday 15th August 2008

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I’ve just come in from cutting my friend Nigel’s lawns. He’s on holiday for a couple of weeks, so I volunteered to do his mowing for him while he’s away.

There’s nothing worse than coming back from a restful couple of weeks in the sun to grass two feet high. Plus, we’re going away in a few weeks’ time and I’m hoping he’ll do our lawns in exchange.

Using a strange lawn mower and cutting someone else’s lawn for the first time is a bit like feeding someone else’s toddler. You know the principles, and how they work with your own toddler (or lawn), but you don’t know all the little tricks that make it easy. Still, I only scalped a couple of edges and left one or two tufty bits, so I hope Nigel will be pleased.

There are several short-cuts that can be employed to making lawn mowing simpler and more enjoyable.

First, cut out as many sharp edges as possible so that you can mow in long, smooth sweeps. If you always leave a tufty bit in one particular place, widen the bed or curve the edge round to eliminate it.

And if you always clout a particular paving slab or edging stone, take the offending slab out and re-lay it at a lower level. Raise the skirts of any trees and shrubs that are difficult to mow underneath, and lay flat brick edges, or mowing strips, between lawns and herbaceous borders.

Try to make sure the grass is just slightly higher than any adjoining paths and edges, so you can run over the top of them; if your lawn has sunk, time spent raising it will save hours of frustrating strimming.

If you do a lot of mowing, it might be worth assessing the mower itself. Nigel’s mower was just a bit too heavy for me; if I was doing his lawns regularly, I’d want something lighter. On the other hand, the grass box on his mower was very generous; if it’s a long way from your lawn to the compost heap, a large collection box is a must.

But if carrying heavy grass around is a problem for you, choose a mower with a smaller collecting box, tip the clippings into a large wheelbarrow and wheel them to the compost heap.

I always prefer to collect any grass clippings – if you leave them on the lawn they generally look messy and can be trailed into the house on the bottom of everyone’s shoes.

Last, but not least, don’t forget to clip the lawn edges every other time that you mow. Sharp, straight edges will add a final touch of professionalism to the job.

Jobs for this week: Collect seed from annuals and biennials like nasturtiums and foxgloves. Store them in paper envelopes in a cool, dry place until next spring.

Take time to wander round the garden and make a note of any gaps to be filled or plants to be moved over the winter months. Digital photographs may help you to remember where things are, once they’ve finished flowering and died down for the winter.

Take cuttings of tender and half-hardy perennials, such as penstemons, marguerites and felicias, to over-winter in the greenhouse.