| I recently attended a lecture by acoustic ecologist | | | | turfgrass every week during the growing season. |
| Gordon Hempton. The summary on the back cover | | | | I have never used power hedge shears(Power tool |
| of his book begins: "In the visionary tradition of | | | | battery), and I discourage people from planting |
| Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, One Square Inch of | | | | hedges that require shearing. It would be great if we |
| Silence alerts us to the beauty that we take for | | | | didn't have to use any power tools at all! Lawns, |
| granted and sounds an urgent environmental alarm. | | | | however, do make a nice play surface, and for |
| Natural silence is our nation's fastest-disappearing | | | | people who have acreage, mowing is the easiest |
| resource." | | | | way to keep down tall grass and for controlling |
| Hempton's lecture included recordings of the dawn | | | | blackberries and Scotch broom. |
| chorus of songbirds; symphonies of frogs; water | | | | By planting eco-lawns and not being so fussy, you |
| dripping, trickling and thundering; and the amazing, | | | | might be able to get away with mowing only a few |
| deep, vibrational hum of a hollow Sitka Spruce log as | | | | times a season. |
| it was pounded by ocean waves. | | | | Recently, while we were buying a new lawn mower, |
| Garden designers often are inspired by what they've | | | | my husband and I debated the virtues of different |
| seen (and heard) in natural places. If they enjoy it, | | | | models. I originally wanted to get the wimpy, corded, |
| they attempt to recreate their experience. | | | | electric model. I really like my corded electric |
| Along with appearance, we consider fragrance and | | | | spin-trimmer, because I don't have to worry about |
| taste in our gardens, but motion, sound and tactile | | | | messy gas or oil, I can pull-start it, and I don't have |
| sensations are other elements that can be | | | | to worry about a battery dying. |
| overlooked when we attempt to create a beautiful | | | | Being a "Tim Taylor" power-tool kind of guy (Hoh, |
| garden. | | | | Hoh, Hoh)markita 1220 power tool battery, my |
| I was reminded of the time when I worked at | | | | husband convinced me to get the more powerful, |
| Wright Park in Tacoma when the constant hum of | | | | battery-powered mower. He was concerned that a |
| leaf blowers during the fall severely diminished my | | | | corded electric mower would be too big of a draw |
| enjoyment of my otherwise-favorite chrysanthemum | | | | on the batteries that store the power for our solar |
| floral display. | | | | home. |
| Lawn mowers, spin trimmers, edgers and leaf | | | | Small, gas-powered tools, especially two-cycle |
| blowers have become standard tools for landscapers. | | | | engines, which require you to mix oil with the gas, |
| All of them are used to keep lawns neat and tidy. I | | | | pollute the most and tend to be very noisy. Electric |
| encourage people to reduce or eliminate their lawns | | | | power tools are much cleaner and tend to be quieter. |
| and replace them with native groundcovers, if their | | | | Newer models also are more powerful. My next |
| only purpose is for aesthetics, especially in areas | | | | purchase will be an electric rototiller! |
| where no one will be walking. | | | | For that next garden chore, decide whether it's really |
| A higher initial investment in time and money for | | | | necessary to use a power tool. Old-fashioned hand |
| planting and weeding may be required until | | | | tools are much more peaceful to use. Your neighbors |
| groundcovers are well established. But I feel it's | | | | may thank you! |
| preferred over the time and energy it costs to mow | | | | |