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To cut - or not to cut - battle of the sexes


chessie
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I've just been for a wander around our little mini-estate (just under 1 acre).
It is mostly green 'lawn' with some shrubs.
This year, due to the wet weather, and the fact that our local farmer, who usually comes in and cuts it all with a much more powerful mower than we own - he has only turned up once, and I know he has a lot on his plate at the moment with personal problems.
So we have a largish area of grass - which has not been cut.
In the past 14 years I have begged, and pleaded with OH - not to cut all the grass; that I'd love to have a a small wild flower meadow; just leave me a small part, just leave it be - it doesn't matter - no-one can see it from the road - let it be - please.   All ignored - he couldn't wait for farmer to turn up and 'cut everything'.

This year - he had no option but to 'let it be'.
I've just had a wander round.
We have orchids - masses of the purple pyramid, we have pink and white bee orchids, we also have a large number of the 'hanging man' orchids.   We have thistle flowers, little yellow gorse type flowers, purple clover, buttercups and daisies - the large and small ones, as well as beautiful red poppies.
We also have clouds of butterflies; don't want to disturb them by getting too close, but there are several different varieties.  I just stood in the middle of it all this morning - and thought - this is so beautiful, this is lovely, this is wonderful - how could you not appreciate all these beautiful flowers.
I go inside, I try to tell him to come and look.   He stands at the window and still says 'It looks untidy, it looks a mess, it needs cutting, doesn't matter about the wild flowers, who cares............' Despite me over recent years pointing out all the top gardeners, and environmentalists begging gardeners not to have bowling green lawns, to leave some areas 'wild' - he has ignored it all.

I cried inside - and thought I'll not say another word, just ensure I take lots of photos, and sit and enjoy it.    The problem is that if he sees me enjoying all this - he will attack the long grasses, and the wild flowers with his gardening shears, in the absence of the farmer.   He's already done that with some of the green lawn at the front - can't have people thinking he's let things go, can he !!!
In the meantime I am amazed at what we have in the way of wild flowers; and the butterflies that are enjoying all the flowers.
And just keep my fingers crossed that the farmer doesn't come trundling down the road any time soon.
Anyone else let 'the grass grow under their feet' this year ?

Chessie

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First thing, is have you got him to see someone yet? Or you have seen someone about him. If not, PLEASE DO IT!

Personally I would hide the shears and as suggested sabotage the lawnmower...........

AND why not have a word with the farmer, tell him that

you husband is loosing his marbles and keeps ranting and raving about getting the farmer to do lots of things in your garden that you do not want doing.

WHY are you putting up with this abusive man.............. I truly do not get it!

I know we sign up to sickness and health, but we also sign up to love and honour, and that bit seems to being out of the window.

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[quote user="idun"]
First thing, is have you got him to see someone yet? Or you have seen someone about him. If not, PLEASE DO IT!

Personally I would hide the shears and as suggested sabotage the lawnmower...........

AND why not have a word with the farmer, tell him that

you husband is loosing his marbles and keeps ranting and raving about getting the farmer to do lots of things in your garden that you do not want doing.

WHY are you putting up with this abusive man.............. I truly do not get it!

I know we sign up to sickness and health, but we also sign up to love and honour, and that bit seems to being out of the window.
[/quote]

I usually avoid getting involved in "family stuff" but in this case I couldn't agree more.

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[quote user="chessie"]Anyone else let 'the grass grow under their feet' this year ? [/quote]
This and most years. [:$] Even the sheep are too few and too old (they're aged between 10 and 12) to make inroads into the grass on the hill. This morning, as I saw very large thistles coming into flower, I thought I should wander round with a bucket and trim the flower heads so they didn't set seed. Then an amble through Twitter delivered this contribution...

...so I realised I must leave the flower heads in place for now and only remove them before they distribute next year's seedlings as I don't want a hillside of thistles. (Yes, I know there are rules about this but they're sparsely followed around here - different if we had houses and gardens around us - we don't).

A compromise is to mow a path or two through the grass for easy access on a dewy morning and to mow in late July. Until then, enjoy your insect-ful acre, Chessie. [8-|]

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Spent £45 on wildflower mix a few years back, carefully seeded the ground as per the instructions put up interdit signs and gave instructions to the chap who cut our grass. He took down the signs and barrier tape and mowed everything down. We sacked him.

So its not a battle of the sexes, just the usual stupid vs the ones who have a plan and enjoy nature and try to assist the insects and wildlife.
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