When Gill, my mother-in-law asked me to house-sit and feed her cat for a couple of weeks while she was away on a cruise, I was excited at the prospect of having coffee and exercising in her beautiful garden. However, I was disappointed to see the garden overgrown in a state that I'd never seen before, so I decided to cut the grass.
I have no real experience, nor have I done grass cutting in recent years, but I had no intention of staring at the overgrown lawn and not doing something about it.
Gill is fussy, demanding, and hard to please, but she is no longer capable of using the lawnmower and has difficulty finding a gardener. Gill confessed that the reason she has such difficulty finding a gardener is because she has scared away everyone due to their incompetence. However, she was happy for me to tackle it as there was a dire need for the grass to be cut.
Talk about pressure, eh?
Anyway, I decided to go see what's inside the shed.
She had all the right tools—an electric lawnmower and all—but the grass was so high and thick that I thought it was best to first trim the grass with the grasscutter.
My first attempt with the grasscutter was daunting because I was using muscles that were tight and weak, which made me feel some tendinitis pain in my extensor muscles.
Although I got the hang of it pretty quickly, I was careful not to screw it up.
First section BEFORE
First section after the first cut.
Cutting grass can be addictive, therapeutic and grounding!
The smell of fresh grass was soothing and made me feel re-energised and cheerful, even though it was at the end of a long day, and I was loving the process. The freshness of being outdoors and cutting the grass cleared my sinuses, and I felt motivated to carry on.
Day two
The weather was overcast when I woke up, but it was warm enough for me to delve right in and carry on from where I left it the previous day.
My original plan was to cut the grass in two stages: first, by using the grass cutter to trim the tall grass, and second, with the lawnmower.
I went on YouTube and I never found the exact model of this lawnmower, but Gill did mention that the lawnmower needs to be adjusted to the right height to avoid the blades digging up the roots of the grass.
However, I've decided to end with the grass cutter only, as I'm not keen on operating the lawnmower.
I think this is enough evidence that the grasscutter was sufficient.
Here is the result.
The cat came and sniffed it, and she sat on it and looked at me as if to say thanks for doing this for me, but she ran away before I could take her photo.
This is just day two of the two weeks that I'll be here at Gill's house, and I plan to do yoga daily in the garden.
So far, so good, and my yoga sessions would have been unpleasant on overgrown grass. I'll continue with the manicuring of the lawn, and I'll probably give the hedges a go too.
Are you big on gardening, and do you have a lawn that you maintain regularly? I'm keen to hear any tips that you have for enhancing your garden.
All images were photographed by me on the 12 and 13 May 2024 in Leicester, UK.
I'm just the girl next door who finds that
My blog frequently features my minimalist lifestyle and adventures while living on my narrowboat.”
Irie love,
Milly
I originally thought your post was going to show flowers and other signs of springs. I was going to chime in and say it's spring because I have mowed the lawn twice so far, no lie!! It's been raining a lot and I kinda of got to pick and choice when to do it. I'm sure I will have another tackle of it for this weekend. I use a push gas lawn mower and there is always that sense of accomplishment once its all cut. I'm more than sure using those grass cutters you felt more than accomplished, haha. TBH I would have done the same thing as you if nothing else was available because that electric lawn mower I'm not familiar with at all, especially figuring out how to lower or raise it's setting 😊 Well done and a good show of hard work!
Haha! Thank you 😊
Yeah, I have not touched a lawnmower since I was a little girl and it was the simple push mower. This one is electric, yet it has something that looks like an area for diesel/gas or whatever it might be. I also haven't figured out hw to lower it, so with all the other tools in the shed, I think if I spend a few more days on the lawn and figure out what to do with the hedge, I can fool Gill and tell her that the council came and did a professional job when I was out 😂
I'm just amazed you did it all with the grass clippers. I once did my whole lawn with a weed whacker and I thought that was work. I'm debating when it turns into professional job or young kid looking for some side hustle for my yard, haha.
There were about 4 molehills on the lawn, and the work looked like a mountain I thought I could not climb, but I couldn't stop 😅
I'm keen on regaining toned arms, so I was highly motivated 😊
Oh moles my property boundaries a crop field, some years they are bad. I wish I knew an easy way to get rid of them.
I've only ever seen them on the towpath along the canals. I was surprised to see them in the garden. I'll have to look up what causes them.
At first, I was worried that they were ants nests (like the ones we have in Jamaica that bite very hot), so I was pleased that they were moles instead. I can imagine it to be annoying on one's property though.
Looks great. Nice job. Impressive that you only used the grass cutters.
Working in the yard can be very enjoyable I find, especially if the weather is nice. That looks like a great yard. Looks like it has a nice garden.
Thank you 😊
That's a compliment coming from you cos I know this is your area of expertise.
Yeah, it's a lovely private garden and I particularly love it when the foxes come through the hedge for food and sunbathing when they think no one is around:)))
That would be really neat to see a fox in there. I've never seen one up close in the wild. It's always from far away or such a brief encounter that I barely get a look at them
Oh, Gill has not seen many foxes recently, but usually, they come out in the middle of the night to collect food that she leaves for them.
About 10 years ago I came to collect mail when Gill was away on a long cruise. A fox came in the daytime and he stretched and relaxed on the garden furniture for about an hour. I made sure not to let him see me, as it was so much fun to watch, and I got the feeling that the fox knew that Gill was away and he probably came over every day.😁
Leicester is known for foxes (hence the Leicester Foxes football team). Occasionally you might see them in the town.
Oh she feeds them. That's funny. That would be neat to see it in the backyard. Did you do a post on that one time? It's sounds kind of familiar
Gill says that the mother fox will collect the carcasses from her roast chicken and take it back to her family.
No, Hive didn't exist in those days. I'm hoping that I'll see a fox, but I just realised that I didn't leave any food out. I also forgot to leave food for the birds and a few magpies came to the feeder expecting food.
I better get my act together 😆
Yes, Gill leaves food out for everything including rats.
The rats are what I'd be afraid of
Whoaaa, you did great job with big garden! In fact, in the past I have plan to cover my garden with that type of grass but then I think about how to cut maintenance the grass is so difficult rather than wild grass
I regularly maintanance my garden manually
Outdoor yoga is perfect. Today I did yoga just indoor 😊
Have a beautiful day ❤️
You look so gorgeous doing your garden.
I agree that the type of grass is difficult to maintain, but it's a lovely look though.
I'm accustomed to wild grass in Jamaica, and in the Philippines, most homes use small stones, which is less maintenance and also cheaper because some places have a shortage of water.
Whatever you do in your garden, I'm sure it will be beautiful 😍
yes, also use small stones also brick ❤️
Ah, yes! Brick can be used in a creative way like that, and it goes well with white stones 🙌
Tremendous! But she has everything to make the job more bearable. And yes you are right, once you start mowing you enjoy it.
I've got a serious job here on this lawn mowing and gardening thing. And I recently fired the person I hired regularly because he is an animal abuser.
Gardening is fun indeed.😁
I think when Gill returns and sees the garden trimmed and the hedges pruned, she'll be motivated to do light work daily to keep it this way. It's only recently that she has been living alone, and we have had a long winter with extensive rain.
That's sad, and it's difficult to change the mindset of such a person.
😄 I hope Gill gets motivated. Early in the morning is usually nice.
I'm in a big dilemma with this issue 😔
Gill loves sunshine so once the weather is nice she'll be feeling fresh from the cruise.
You did the right thing with that person. Somewhere down the line, they might change, but it would be unwarranted stress for you:)
Thank you.
;)
🤗😊
Good afternoon dear friend @millycf1976
Without a doubt you have done a great job cutting the grass at your mother-in-law's house, it is great that you helped her with this task, in addition, being able to enjoy the natural environment in your yoga exercises.
The smell of cut herbs is very refreshing, it makes you feel in step with the universe.
thank you very much for sharing this experience
Have a lovely afternoon
Hello @jlufer
This task caught me off guard, but I'm happy that I decided to tackle it and I'll do more work so it's in top shape when she returns. It will be great for her to sit outside and relax when she returns from her cruise.
I like that!
💯
Have a great week ahead:)))
Gill will undoubtedly spend beautiful afternoons in his garden, it will be a great surprise when he returns from his trip.
Have fun
Yeah, I think she'll be pleased 😊
Hello darling. Sorry I've been terrible on keeping up with people whilst travelling. How good is the smell of fresh cut grass. Good job! My yogas all been outside when I can manage on the road! All that rain must be making that grass lush and rich.
Hey there!😍 I know how it is when travelling, but as long as you take photos, stay safe, and enjoy the moments, you can always catch up later.
Exactly. It's raining right now, so I will skip working outside today:)
I see, it was useful to cut it, I thought it didn't look bad, until I saw you doing no exercise, and I said: It was better to cut it, definitely.
And the manual cutter is a good tool. There is no "mountain" in my yard anymore as we call it here. He disappeared. But before there was too much and it was very annoying, they were super tall. Mom and I cut them with machetes. And it worked, we uprooted most of them.
I guess it's the good quality grass why it doesn't look so bad in the photos. Until when I look at this heap, which was one of many heaps 😅
I'm happy that you got rid of the molehills, mountains as you call them.
Thanks for stopping by with your lovely message 😊
Oh, Milly. That must have been a lot for you. I can imagine the pressure packed in the "no pressure" statements from Gill. Lol
But looking at the bigger picture and how well it turned out for you, being therapeutic and grounding, makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it?
Looking forward to snippets of your experiences here. And I do hope Gill appreciates what you did when she returns.
Thank you!😊
Haha! Giving compliments and showing appreciation is not Gill's strength. I would have to trick her and tell her that the council sent a gardener as a reward for her outstanding services in the forces for Gill to say that it was a good job 😂
That's hilarious. I almost want you to say it so we'd confirm her reaction.😂
Haha! Gill is just the kind of person who you enjoy playing pranks on cos she's not shy to insult and criticise 😆
And I can guess you'd enjoy playing pranks once or twice. Looks like something I'd enjoy.😂
Gill is mischievous and plays pranks too 😆
Oh my, that's a super tiring activity, but the result sure is satisfying. What more you also enjoy doing it. But how's your muscle after that? Well you do yoga, so surely it doesn't affect your muscle that much (≧▽≦). Anyways, the garden looks more lively now and thats thanks to you (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)
Sorry for my late reply 😁
Yes, it's more tiring than we realise. I felt it the following days, but I've recovered now. Luckily, my muscles don't ache or anything, but the sunshine is gone and it's back to being wet and miserable all day. So, I'm happy that I spend the few days enjoying the sun.
Have a lovely day:))
This is so cool! For sure, Gill will be surprised to see what you did. Also, it is refreshing to look at you doing yoga in there. The nice touch of the sun on your skin and the greeneries surrounding you. Go get that relaxation and smell of fresh grass.
I think Gill will be happy because it looks way better than it did. It's good that I got sunshine on my skin, indeed, because it has been raining and miserable yesterday and today.
The good thing is that it's much nicer to sit by the window and look out at a neat lawn:)))
Awww! This is beautiful 😍
You are energetic, determined and carefree, because I know this wasn't easy at all.
I don't know if I would have done that myself or I would have paid someone to do it. I think I've learned from you today, I should try doing some difficult tasks myself.
I love the smell of freshly-cut grass too:)
And these yoga pictures, they are awesome 👍
Thanks for sharing 💝
Awww, thanks for your lovely comment 😊
Yes, it wasn't easy but I do enjoy getting physical, especially in nature.
I think it's nice to tackle harder jobs and do them in stages once we have the time instead of always paying others to do the job. There's therapy in doing things like these outside.
I'm pleased that you found this interesting:)))
Yeah. I believe doing things like this is therapeutic.
At least I know of that feeling of satisfaction that comes with accomplished tasks.
I'm pleased that you found this interesting:)))It is, and you know it:)
🤗😊
That was a whole lot of work getting rid of those grasses and there is a huge difference at the end of a well done clearing.
It's good to know you enjoyed being outdoor and that's a really good way to exercise. I agree Yoga would have unpleasant on those tall weeds, looking forward to see the outcome of you working on the garden for the next few days.
Thank you 😊
I wasn't sure how long it would take with the grass cutter, but I just could not stop and worked on it all day:)
Wow, this is very interesting. The way you showed before and after look is... wow. I haven't made use of grass cutter before, though I have made use of cutlass and hoe on grasses while at home.
You did really well.
Thank you.😊
I'm used to grass being cut with a cutlass too and a manual lawnmower, but it's been ages since I did any of this.
It's hard work but fun on a pleasant day:)
That's nice. It has been a very long while since I did so as well. Haha.
You are right. It sure is fun 😊.
🤗
I did all the maintenance, myself, in my younger days, running the mower, pruning the bushes, raking the autumn leaves, etc. But, I cannot keep the pace at my age, so now I hire a man and don't scare him away, unlike Gill... 😂 He does a good job, all-in-all, and I have relaxed my standards a bit for the sake of expense and congeniality. That's a lovely place, and you did aa good job on it! 🙂
Good on ya!👏
I wish Gill would see the logic in doing so 😆
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