Finally, DH is complaining about too much lawn.

[Smart Red]

Ever since we built this house and put in a lawn,(40+ years ago) I have been doing the mowing with the help of a garden tractor. It is now in for repairs (hopefully it can be fixed) so all mowing has been done with a gas push mower. I do some, DH does some. DS brought his lawn mower over so two could be mowing at once until our mower stopped working. It is now in for repairs.

DS took in the mini-tiller to be fixed as well as the big tiller which was running too fast and couldn't be adjusted.

Right now, all the lawn close to the house is mown. The old orchard and half the play area is also mowed. Even my garden managed to get a trim today. Still, there is probably more mowing areas that are not done as we have done. No way we'll get to everything with a push mower.

DH started complaining about there being too much lawn even though he worked up another half hour of mowing area last year. I suggested we turn some places into edible yards or get something started in some places that don't need mowing more than once each fall. Right now he is up for something to change. Once my tractor is home, I fear he won't care about all the mowing any longer since he's not likely to be doing any of it again. SIGH!

 

[baymule]

My DH argues with me on where I place fence. He envisions a estate type lawn.... I envision a lot of work..... if I had my way, I would fence a couple feet from the house and let the livestock "mow" it!

 

[Nyboy]

What about giving each grandkids a piece of lawn and let them plant their own gardens.

 

[so lucky]

Wonder how hard it would be to convert it to something that can be mowed twice a year and baled?

 

[Smart Red]

Wonder how hard it would be to convert it to something that can be mowed twice a year and baled?

Not all that hard -- except for the problem of getting the big mowing equipment into these yard sized areas. There are a lot of big old oaks on the property and, therefore, a lot of shady areas. I would love to put some of the mowing area into wildflowers, but even wildflowers need a lot of sun.

Since the recent problems with DH, it seems so many of my posts have focused on the negative. Have to change that. I am basically a positive, extrovert with a Pollyanna attitude and that's not something I want to change.

 

[baymule]

Red you be whatever you feel like being. We love you no matter if you're nauseatingly cheerful or grumpy. LOL LOL

 

[digitS']

@baymule , you aren't recommending Dorper sheep since those are in your plans?

The big veggie garden is in an area with single family homes on 3 to 5 acre lots. I just looked at city-data: the average age for the zipcode is 10 years higher than the state. But, those census #'s include some housing developments along the arterial. There are very few small lots on any of the secondary roads. I've met nearby neighbors. They are nearly all over 70.

Many of these people will spend an entire day mowing and often do that each week. Some will not run sprinklers on most of their ground so as to only mow a couple times each year. Others run sprinklers and have a tractor guy cut and bale hay, which they sell to other neighbors because a few have horses.

One guy sprays herbicide on about 3 acres. He has done this for close to 10 years. Nothing grows there and that is his view from the front windows of his home!

One family has sheep. It's a nice little field, well "mowed," by the sheep. There are 3 adults and, now, 2 lambs and it looks like they are on about 1 acre.

Dorper sheep are those that do not need to be sheared each year, I believe.

Steve

 

[baymule]

I have already spoken to a couple of Dorper breeders. Dorpers are definitely in the plans. Been working on fence. Went to Tractor Supply Monday and got 6 rolls of horse wire, 4'x200' 100 T-post 7' tall, 2 more gates, and 4 rolls of barbed wire. Going to build sheds off both sides of a 12'x24' portable building for 2 separate pastures. Planning on 5 or 6 pastures for rotation. Dorpers! Yes!

 

[digitS']

I really like the idea of these hair sheep. It must be disappointing that the cost of shearing is greater than the value of the wool sheared. Okay. I often feel sorry for sheep. It's obvious that they overheat.

Goats are sumthin' else. Clever critters. I did not understand then and I don't understand now how my brother's goat could get in our sideyard! There was a large cherry tree there with a big branch that hung over the fence into the cattle pasture.

She could get onto that branch! It was high enuf that a cow could walk under it! I saw her on that branch but never witnessed the magic that got her up there! As best as I could guess, she climbed the fence, then onto the branch, then along the branch and over the fence ... into the yard !

Cattle are hard on the ground just because of their weight. I don't know much about sheep but they look like good lawnmowers ... lamb chops are good, too.

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

She was lonely. Never had a goat, don't have one now, don't want one in future.

Agree on eating lamb-about the only thing they are good for.