Tag your turf
why should groundskeepers have all the fun...
America’s love affair with the lawn has waned in recent years, but among some, its heart still beats strongly. Declare your affection for your yard (or send a message to friends and neighbors) with a heart of petals. In the early days of lockdown, a neighbor offered this love letter made of camellia flowers that they’d gathered from the shrub in their garden. In a separate time, a thoughtful beachcomber left this salty valentine on the beach in our neighborhood. These small kindnesses meant so much to everyone passing by and all it took was the heart to create them.
Why should groundskeepers have all the fun
Gardeners not ready to tag their turf can still make a mark and put some fun into the relentless chore of mowing the lawn. Anyone watching a televised baseball game taking place at an outdoor stadium has no doubt marveled at the intricate patterns that appear on the field. At least this is the sort of thing I notice during an endless game of America’s favorite pastime. Skilled groundskeepers, equipped with specialized mowing equipment, have perfected the art of mowing stripes, logos, and other designs into their turf, raising the tedium of mowing the lawn to an art form.
Specialized books, websites and trade articles, solely dedicated to details of specialized equipment, benders bars, refracted light, and optimized viewing points, divulge turf design secrets for weekend lawn artists with big league aspirations. The rest of us are content with quick and easy effects:
Mow a crisply defined pathway winding through a slightly shabby lawn to a distant corner of the garden creating an intriguing sense of destination or directing visitors to a bench in the shade.
Draw attention to passing seasonal highlights, like a stand of sunflowers, or lead the way to the backyard party by mowing a simple arrow or exclamation point into the turf.
Labyrinth
Distilled down to a single element, this mown grass labyrinth creates a soulful garden of peace and contemplation. Bob and Betty Hawkins created their labyrinth on Vashon Island, siting it in a rough meadow at the top of a knoll above their apple orchard, overlooking Puget Sound. The design follows the ancient seven circuit seed pattern and walking its 276-foot-long pathway is a part of their daily lives.