I Hate Mowing the Yard


My husband has almost always been the lawn mow-er, but when we lived in Michigan we had a riding mower and I'd mow it most of the time. When we moved to Oak Hill we quickly realized that we had about one square inch of level ground - we are really on a HILL - and I won't use a riding lawnmower here. I'm afraid I'll tip over!

Why I hate mowing the lawn.


I found that riding mower relaxing, but hubby finds mowing very stressful. Two years ago I told him that if he'd get me a self-propelled lawnmower I'd take over the front yard. He uses a string mower, and those are just too hard for me to use. So eventually I had "my own" lawnmower, and the front yard is my responsibility.

But I'm putting off mowing the front yard now that spring is here. It needs it. But the dandelions are yellow polka dots in the green yard and the shepherds purse is blooming. The henbit has turned our lawn into a purple carpet. Hubby has hinted that it needs to be done, but the henbit is so pretty when you plop a puppy or a baby goat in the middle of it and take pictures.

Pyrenees puppy in purple henbit
One of the Pyrenees puppies we had a few years ago.

You see, we really don't have much grass and I'd hesitate to call our yard a "lawn". There are plenty of useful plants though.

Narrow leaved plantain
Plantain

The plantain is growing in swirly clumps. You can identify plantain by the veins that run parallel from stem to tip. The veins are especially visible if you turn the leaf upside down.

The leaf veins of plantain run parallel to each other.
The veins on plantain run parallel, from stem to tip.

There are also clumps of curly dock. If you have trouble telling curly dock from plantain, turn the leaves over and check the veins.

Curly dock leaf veins
Yellow or curly dock has wavy leaves.

Curly dock leaves have wavy edges as the leaves get larger. Sometimes the clumps look kind of reddish or purplish in the early spring.

Curly dock in early spring
Yellow or curly dock

We have a patch of wild onions in the yard too. I hate mowing those down. Egg and wild onion dinners are a spring tradition in Oklahoma. One of these days I might transplant those onions to a spot outside of our yard so I can let them multiply into larger patches.

Dandelion greens and the leaves of shepherds purse are good additions to spring salads.

A patch of chickweed in the lawn
Chickweed

The chickweed is growing heavily right now too. I always pick plenty so I can infuse olive oil and make salve. Chickweed and plantain salve is our go-to remedy for insect bites, stings, and other skin problems such as rashes.

Maybe I can mow around the plantain?


This post has been shared at some of my favorite blog hops.


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My hope is to inspire you, and to encourage your homesteading plans and your dreams of a simple, self-reliant, God-dependent life. You can follow me at: 
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