Greenscape Gardens Green Blog

THE OLD PHILOSOPHER, THOUGHT OF THE DAY!

Nothing is certain.....except the past...HAPPY NEW YEAR

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LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION 200 YEARS AGO TODAY 01/01/1805

Two cannons are fired to celebrate the new year. 16 of the men have been invited to the Indians' camp. Clark and York decide to go to the Indians' celebration. The Mandans are surprised how well York dances in spite of his large size. Captain Clark calls on all the chiefs except two who spoke unfavorably about the Corps. Later the chiefs recant their disfavor.

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LAWN FACTS

A healthy, well manicured lawn is a joy to use and see. Glare is softened, feet are cushioned, noise is reduced. It increases the selling price of a home by 15%.

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LAWN MOWER SAFETY

When the first signs of spring appear, the ritual of weekly grass cutting resumes. Before you start mowing, be sue to brush up on the following safety tips.

Before you start mowing, scan through your operator’s manual to refresh your memory on safety and preventative maintenance. Maintenance helps prolong the life of your mower and keeps it operating safely.

You should also walk around your yard and pick up any debris laying in the yard that could be thrown by the fast moving mower blades.

Other tips include:

• Attempt to mow in a forward direction at all times.
• Make sure children and pets are away from the mowing area to prevent accidents caused by objects thrown from the mower’s blades.
• Dress in long slacks and avoid wearing loose clothing that could get caught in the mower’s moving parts.
• Wear sturdy shoes with slip-resistant soles to avoid injury to your feet.
• Never put your fingers near the cutting blade while the mower is running. Use a stick or a tool to remove any clogs that develop, after the mower is safely turned off.
• Mow back and forth on hillsides to prevent falling on the mower if you trip. If the slope of the hill is too steep to mow safely, plant groundcover or landscape instead.
• If you need to add fuel, roll the mower outside of the garage. A driveway provides good ventilation and any spills can be wiped up with ease.
• No smoking. Leave matches and smoking materials inside to prevent absentmindedly lighting a cigarette while pouring fuel.

You should never mow the lawn when the grass is wet. You could easily slip on the wet grass. Moisture often carries disease organisms that can be transferred from one part of the lawn to another by simply walking on the lawn or mowing the lawn.
To protect hands and feet from injury, keep them away from injury, keep them away from the blade and discharge chute. If the chute gets clogged, turn off the engine before attempting to correct the situation. Disconnect the spark plug on a walk behind mower before working around the blade. Also turn off the engine on any mower before emptying the material collection system.

If you have to leave the mower for even a moment, stop the engine. Some mowers have a safety switch that will stop the engine if you get off the mower while the blades are still engaged.

Follow these safety precautions to make lawn care as worry free as possible. And above everything else, USE COMMON SENSE.
For additional lawn mower safety tips check:

http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/HTML/FSA-1005.asp

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GREENSCAPE GARDENS JOKE OF THE DAY!

A man takes his place in the theater, but realizes his seat is too far from the stage. He whispers to the usher, "This is a mystery, and I have to watch a mystery close up. Get me a better seat, and I'll give you a handsome tip."

The usher moves him into the second row, and the man hands the usher a quarter.

Yes. You guessed it, another big tipper.

The usher looks at the quarter in his hand, leans over and whispers, "The wife did it."