One man came to mow……..came to mow my lawn. When he got here I told him that he only had half of it to cut this time. Wind back to last week, when Derek, my new gardener, phoned to say that he couldn’t come as he had hurt his foot by accidentally stepping in a rabbit hole while he was out doing his hours exercising.
This meant that the lawn would be extra long and covered with daisies. I call it my lawn, but really it is my area of green, it is daisies , buttercups, self heal (in olden days carpenters used to stop the bleeding caused by their tools with the leaves of self heal, purple flowers like a tiny ajuga) speedwell, scarlet pimpernel,moss etc.etc. At least it looks green to set off all the colour in the borders and also forms a calming green oasis.
When he arrived we went and had a look at what I wanted, staying socially distanced of course at all times. I asked him to cut twice round the circular lawn and then once straight up the middle towards the gate to the pond area. He looked a bit bemused, but agreed that yes, he could do that.
I get this done most years as it attracts different butterflies to the ones that come to my borders full of flowers with their nectar and pollen. As soon as the grass grows to a decent height, it brings in Meadow Browns and Ringlets which lay their eggs on the grass. In just a few weeks the eggs hatch and the caterpillars live on the grasses, again just for a few weeks, before forming a chrysallis. Hopefully new butterflies have emerged before I then get the grass cut back to a lawn at the end of summer.
It is so hot at the moment, far too hot for the month of May, we are desperate for rain, so the rest of the time that Derek was here, I found a few jobs for him that needed doing in the shade. I flaked out under my shady arbour with a book and a long cold drink as I can’t work in the garden at the same time as him at the moment, that’s my excuse anyway!
How are you coping with the lockdown, I’m having to work in sunny areas at 6am, as it is too hot later, no wonder my shady borders always look better than my sunny ones!
It’s lovely that you give thought to the wildlife Pauline. I also have something which I call my lawn but doesn’t contain a lot of grass and your post has reassured me that it should stay that way!
I’m so glad that you approve of what I’ve done Denise, I feel my garden is my own private nature reserve and anything I can do to help nature, is fine by me, even though I also try to also make it look like a garden. So many birds feed on creepy crawlies in my lawn so I’m not happy using chemicals on it, hence all the wild flowers or weeds!
Loving how you manage your lawn, giving wildflowers and wildlife that depend on them a break. Oh…how we need rain, it’s not even on the news, we’ve had a drought for a month now, so much slips under the radar due to the damn virus! Love you get to chill and enjoy a cool drink and watching the gardener…oops…the garden! Lol xxx
During a drought is when I am so thankful of our heavy clay, it hangs onto any moisture that is around at this time of year, then I curse it in the winter when we have a flood! In my defense Dina, I was in the back garden and Derek was in the front garden working in the shade of the house, I did check regularly though to make sure he hadn’t passed out in the heat! x
So gorgeous a way to treat lawn. Take care Pauline.
I meant to ask did you plan all these flowers?
No, Susie, they just appeared over the years!
Thanks Susie, glad you like it, the bees do too! I’m enjoying being in my garden so much, lockdown is now being eased, but I’m in no hurry to get out into the big wide world just yet. Thanks x.
And it looks attractive too, as well as being good for wildlife and easier for the grass cutter!
I agree Cathy, although it seemed to take the same time for him to cut it!