Homeowner Right of Passage: Mowing the Lawn

I have a confession to make and it is one that will warm my father's heart (because who else insisted that I mow five acres of land almost every weekend? Thank goodness the other twenty acres were wooded). I love landscaping and gardening. I love to mow the lawn. Maybe it's because I enjoy the outdoors and I like to feel the warm sun on my skin, maybe I enjoy the tangible evidence of my labors, or maybe it's because only the roar of John Deere mower can adequately shut out the rest of the world and provide precious mental clarity. Whatever the reason, I am happy to work outside in the yard.

When we decided to buy a house, we knew we wanted a decent yard to garden and to provide space for running and playing. While others might daydream about the curtains they'll choose for their new bedroom (our windows are still bare), I looked forward to the day we would select a lawn mower and gardening equipment. So, imagine my initial disappointment when my husband announced that he has always wanted an old-fashioned push reel lawn mower and come on, Linds, they're better for our health and for the environment! Well, we agreed to give it a try. If it didn't work out or if it was completely inadequate, we would be out $130 but we could always sell it on craigslist.

Today, we bought a Scotts classic push reel mower.

Some of its finer points include its very quiet blades. While the mower doesn't provide the buzzing hum to provide a bit of "alone-time," it was quiet enough not to wake our sleeping Evie. So, in a roundabout way, it did provide some of the aforementioned solitude. The mower also doubles as an exercise aid as it is not self-propelled. Am I really reaching to look for pros on a list pre-loaded with cons? Perhaps, but I am willing to give it a shot. The cons, as one might imagine, include the necessity of mowing the same line in the lawn several times to really cut all of the grass. I had to hand-pick about a dozen stubborn blades of grass. The mower is not self-propelled and we didn't get a mower with a bag for grass clippings, so we need to rake the lawn after mowing, although I recently discovered bag attachments for the push reel mowers, so this "con" may not sit on the list for long.

All in all, using a push reel mower was actually a fun experience, if only for the novelty of it. Time will tell whether this eco-friendly method becomes a staple of our lawn-care regimen. One thing is certain though, Evie loves her new yard! And so do we.