How to Get Someone Else to Mow your Lawn

We looked at some fine people who have gone the extra mile to help out their neighbours and friends by mowing their lawns or maintaining their parks, but how does one go about getting someone else to push the lawn mower around? Well, if you live in the Russell Street neighbourhood of Detroit, Michigan, then you’re already set, because one man has been responsible for cutting all the lawns in the street for years since he retired. 63-year-old Harry Bynum has lived on the street for over 50 years, and would help keep the neighbourhood clean and tidy by mowing lawns, fixing anything that was broken and shovelling snow from the pavements. Sadly, a few weeks ago Bynum was made homeless after an electrical fire burned his home to the ground. Bynum is staying with friends until he can get back on his feet, but that doesn’t stop him coming back to Russell Street daily to make sure everything is ticking along and neatly mown.

In Australia, a start-up company called Greensocks is playing matchmaker between homeowners without the time or equipment to cut their own grass, and part-time workers who own a lawn mower and want to earn a little extra cash. The idea is that people cut grass for others in their spare time, and earn a fee for doing so. A more traditional way of getting out of the lawn mowing chore is to employ someone else to do it on a regular basis. Landscaping and gardening companies offer lawn mowing services, and there are also freelance gardeners and labourers who will mow your lawn regularly for a small fee. If you have teenaged children then teach them how to safely mow the lawn, then pay them for their trouble, or make it a condition of their allowance. This not only saves money on paying a professional, but also teaches your children an important skill and the value of money.

If none of this appeals to you, then the last resort is to get rid of the lawn entirely. This doesn’t have to mean paving it all over and going for the concrete jungle look, because artificial lawns are rising in popularity among the time-poor. The “astroturf” we may remember from all-weather football pitches is a thing of the past; the artificial grass available to homeowners nowadays is much softer than the scratchy stuff that comes to mind, so there are no plastic

grass burns to fear when children are playing on the lawn. With several different styles there are thick and lush options that are great for lawns that people sit on as well as more hard-wearing ones that are ideal for play areas. The maintenance is easy; no mowing, watering, re-seeding, raking, fertilising or edging to be done, instead, the installation team attend once a year to give the artificial grass a shampoo and brush, and it looks as good as new.

Because there is no underlying mud the house stays a lot cleaner when children and pets are in and out all day, and with the money saved on upkeep and cleaning you could be a lot better off financially. You will also have more free time, as there is no weekly or fortnightly mowing to be done, and no need to rake leaves daily in the autumn. Your lawn could be the envy of the street once the neighbours find out why they haven’t been hearing your lawnmower lately, and with the durable nature of modern artificial grass it won’t matter when all the neighbours come round to take a good look because they won’t be able to wear it out. It’s not an option that will appeal to everyone, but certainly for rental properties and homes where the occupants are not able to regularly maintain the garden it could be the ideal solution.