It’s so liberating to just not care anymore

I had an epiphany today while mowing my wet lawn. It was the only window I had without rain after a week of downpours, and more expected soon. I’ve done a renovation on my front yard, and it was looking great—starting to really thicken up after a couple of mows and weekly fertilizing.

Then the squirrels showed up and started wreaking havoc. Add in days of rain, falling leaves, and now wet leaves sitting on the lawn, and it all went downhill. I blew off what I could, but it didn’t really help.

So today, I’ve decided I just don’t care anymore. Sure, I want a nice lawn, and I’ll still mow and fertilize. But I’ve realized that it’s genuinely therapeutic to not care so much. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter.

Kudos to those of you with perfectly manicured lawns. You must’ve had a stretch of good conditions without setbacks. I know I’ll never get there, and I’m finally okay with that.

End of rant.

The 2024 Lawn of the Year contest is here! You have until September 30th to submit your lawn for consideration. Submit on the stickied post here.. If you’re proud of it, it’s worth a shot.

This post really resonated with me. I feel ya, man.

Sloan said:
This post really resonated with me. I feel ya, man.

Back in Catholic elementary school, they said I had to be on THE ROAD TO GOD. My smart-ass 4th-grade self said I preferred a ‘traffic circle’ approach—getting on and off when needed (hockey games being a reason). Now I feel the same way about my yard. Some years it looks extraordinary; other times, I just let it be. I get it, <3.

@Tan
I’m here for a travel hockey story…

The biggest secret to having a great lawn is retirement.

Ari said:
The biggest secret to having a great lawn is retirement.

I’ve realized that too—all the immaculate lawns in my neighborhood are owned by retirees. My lawn is nice, but I’m always hard on myself. I need to remember that I’m competing with people who can spend all day on their lawn, whereas I get maybe an hour every few days—rushed.

Ari said:
The biggest secret to having a great lawn is retirement.

My neighbor retired from the Army and, after his dog passed away, dedicated all his time to his lawn. I couldn’t keep up anymore.

Ari said:
The biggest secret to having a great lawn is retirement.

One of the big YouTube channels I used to watch is run by a retired guy. He’d spend at least $500 a month on lawn supplies. I can’t do that, so I’m happy to have a ‘decent’ lawn.

Ari said:
The biggest secret to having a great lawn is retirement.

My retired neighbor mows his lawn every three days! He takes such pride in it, and I respect that. But his grown son, who lives with him, is useless. The poor guy had a stroke and was in rehab for three weeks—his son didn’t mow once! My 17-year-old ended up mowing the day before he came home.

Ari said:
The biggest secret to having a great lawn is retirement.

Retirement or working from home!

I fertilize 4-5 times a year with Ace Hardware’s ‘Scotts 4-Step’ store brand, cut every 3-5 days depending on growth, and spot spray weeds. It looks great in spring and fall, and pretty dead in summer, and that’s it.

@Finley
I do the exact same thing. Ace usually has the whole program on sale early in the year.

@Finley
If you’re fertilizing that often, depending on the size of your lawn, you might save about 50% by buying the nutrients separately and mixing yourself. It just takes a few minutes once you have the calculations figured out.

@Alden
The other 50% you save is the coating that makes fertilizer last longer and prevents nutrient spikes or accidental burns.

@Alden
Honestly, that 50% premium is probably worth not having to think about it.

@Finley
What do you use for spot spraying weeds?

Kai said:
@Finley
What do you use for spot spraying weeds?

I’ve had great success with Ortho Weed B Gon—the kind that attaches to a hose. It’s great for stringy weeds that are hard to pull.

Kai said:
@Finley
What do you use for spot spraying weeds?

Good old Weed B Gon.

As Linkin Park said:

“I tried so hard and got so far, but in the end, it doesn’t even matter.”