Yew Dell Botanical Gardens $5M castle improvement project
Kentucky’s tiniest castle gets a $5 million royal facelift at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens. Take a peek.
The author argues that mowing a lawn at a 4-inch height is key to a healthier, low-maintenance yard.Taller grass uses less water, out-competes weeds, and reduces the need for fertilizers or pesticides.
You wouldn’t think an old, gray-haired plant guy would present the kind of profile that would include fairly regular run-ins with the law. I mean, Plant Guy sounds more like a superhero … doesn’t exactly conjure up the profile of a hardened criminal who needs to worry about being publicly mirandized on the sidewalk prior to booking downtown.
A number of years ago, I was sitting outside a small community airport in a far northern Maine town. (I’m not at liberty to divulge the name of that town as the judge’s gag order is still in place …) But I was sitting there, minding my own little horticulture professor business when I realized that the newly planted trees in the airport’s entrance court had been so hastily planted by the landscape contractor (who was clearly long gone from the job) that they had left all the synthetic burlap and nylon twine, murderously wrapped around the base of each linden tree.
It was immediately clear that I needed to spring into action to liberate the trees from their constraints and release them to a long life of landscape prosperity.
Eschewing my big green cape (with large “PG” emblazoned on the back) so as not to call undue attention to my planned actions, I pulled out my Arthur Wright & Sons folding knife and went to work removing the constraining burlap and rope. It was not long before I looked up to see a handful of security guards approaching in purposeful, synchronized, stride. It seems wielding a very sharp knife at an airport, even for horticulturally altruistic reasons, results in significant disdain on the part of law enforcement, not to mention one very cranky judge.
So it was with that rather dubious mark on my otherwise spotless record that I not too long ago found myself in one of those cavernous home improvement stores, walking down the lawn mower aisle.
Any guesses where this is going?
Lawns and lawnmowers. If you’ve read even a small handful of these columns you’re probably already rolling your eyes. “Here he goes again…”
What is the best height to cut a lawn?
But really, lawns are so very easy. There are just a few basics guidelines to follow. They’re not even rules — just guidelines. And they don’t cost any money at all. In fact, with a steady diet of deep watering, fall thatch removal and soil aeration, you’ll actually spend less money on your lawn. It doesn’t matter if you are still doing the gas mower thing or you’ve changed over to rechargeable. You can go organic or not — compost tea or granular for fertilizer.
But mowing height — that’s the magic. Mowing your lawn at a 4-inch height rather than scalping it at 2-inches tall tilts the competitive advantage in favor of the grass over the weeds. It makes a lawn that uses less water, out-competes more weeds. And it feels so much better to bare feet.
And it was with that internal diatribe rattling around in my head that I found myself staring at a large rack full of shiny, new push mowers. And standing there, I had a bit of an epiphany. “I bet,” I thought to myself, “that most people who buy a new lawnmower, take it home, fire it up and never really look at any of the settings, like cut height. I bet if I set all these mowers to the max cut height, nobody will ever know, and few if any will ever change it.”
So, with the Arthur Wright & Sons folding knife tucked discreetly away in my right pocket, I went to work. First I hit the top row, then the middle. On each mower I deftly pressed in that little adjustment lever and raised the deck — 2 inches, two point five, three, three and a half, and triumphantly — the promised land of 4 inches! Mower, after mower, after mower.
It was when I was about a third of the way along the bottom row that I got that feeling. Sure enough, as I turned around there was a rather annoyed-looking security guard, complete with radio at the ready and shiny badge blinding me with reflected fluorescent light. “Sir, we’ve had a complaint …”
Now, I immediately recognized the situation. This security guard wasn’t one of those guys looking to right wrongs of the world by exercising his God-given authority to advance the big box store police state. This was a guy who was just trying to get to the end of his shift so he could go home and play ball with his kids or enjoy a nice dinner with his spouse. I decided to make my case anyway.
“Well, sir, you see I’m not damaging the merchandise. I’m actually doing a good deed here, saving your customers unnecessary work. I’m adjusting the mowing height so people can cut their lawns at 4 inches rather than scalping it at 2 inches. In fact, if I had my way, all the lawn mower designers and manufacturers of the world who design in the option to cut the lawn at anything lower than 4 inches should be the targets of your ire. Personally, I wish them all a late spring frost on their newly planted tomatoes and a herd of hungry deer when their fruit begin to mature. C’mon man. Give a guy a hand.”
My new friend looked like he was gearing up to deliver an ultimatum, so I figured I’d give it my last shot.
“Just think,” I said. “Imagine the possibilities. Somebody brings home this mower and unknowingly grows a great lawn and uses less water, fertilizer and pesticide. A few neighbors borrow this mower and their lawns are magically transformed. The word gets out and one of those early morning news offerings shows up with cameras and overly perky hosts … and they interview him on national TV. We could start a movement and save billions of gallons of water, keep zillions of pounds of pesticides and fertilizers out of the environment. Won’t you give me a hand and we can knock out the last few units and I’ll be on my way and out of your hair?”
With that, I rested my case. My new friend looked toward the sky and let out a long and deep sigh. I wasn’t sure which direction this was going.
“Sir,” he started, “you have the right to remain silent … “ I drew a breath to protest, but he cut me off. “No dude, really. If you will just stop talking … Lemme hold your cape while you finish up.”
Paul Cappiello is the executive director at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens, 6220 Old Lagrange Road, yewdellgardens.org.
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