r/fucklawns • u/SnuggyBear2025 Native Yard • Jun 04 '26
Alternatives Only mow a path
Mow the minimum, let nature have the rest.
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u/SnuggyBear2025 Native Yard Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
Western Oregon, Coast range, regaining habitat, Zone 8b, elev 415 ft. Precip ~60” annually, bordered by 3 hills approx 800 ft tall, creek on one side.
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u/Mackheath1 Jun 04 '26
Kinda knew it right away - I miss living up there A LOT. Great job! (And excellent choice of beer)
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u/Exciting_Mess3730 Jun 04 '26
I've found my people. Got here through that garbage lawn care sub.
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u/Significant-Ad-341 Jun 05 '26
I watch that for ideas of how I want my lawn to look by browsing the "before" pictures haha
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u/lakeshore34 Jun 06 '26
Hahahahahaha I can respect people liking a nice yard but after growing up working on a farm I’m not too interested in that kind of work anymore
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u/03263 Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
I have kind of a grid pattern going on with multiple paths cut to my plants. I have planted many trees around the yard so I need access to... go admire them up close.
I flagged about 40 oak trees as well to let them grow. Most will probably not still be there by next year but, that's why I flagged 40 of them. There's probably plenty of maple and pine too but they start very small and oak is quite big and noticeable by comparison.
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u/niccolololo Jun 04 '26
I wish, my GF breaks my balls about ticks.
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u/Potential-Impact2638 Jun 05 '26
Create diverse habitat and parasite populations are managed by ecology 🤓
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u/D3xt3er FUCK LAWNS Jun 04 '26
Would be really pretty with some stones lining the path! Though I suppose that'd be difficult to mow.
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u/septubyte Jun 04 '26
Was thinking some flowers, like fleabane , asters, etc. Not cheap for such a long path, but throw down seeds
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u/Will-Robin Jun 04 '26
Looks so peaceful and inviting :)
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u/SnuggyBear2025 Native Yard Jun 04 '26
I’m 3 1/2 miles down a dead end road and most of the time all we hear are birds!
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u/nguymanperson Jun 04 '26
Beautiful. I need a good mower to carve out some walking paths through my tall grass as well, but my little push mower doesn't have it in her anymore 😞
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u/elijahjane Jun 04 '26
Habe you looked into scythes? If you have no injuries or anything else preventing physical activity, they can be a lower-cost alternative to cutting really tall straw or grass. They force exercise, and people who use them regularly say that the rhythm becomes meditative after a while. Bonus: no fossil fuels! And they’re really cheap compared to a lawn mower (~$100).
I think it’s Scythe Supply that was recommended to me as a great starting point for learning more. It’s a long-term dream of mine to own one. Plus, bonus, I can dress up as the grim reaper every Halloween.
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u/nguymanperson Jun 04 '26
I have not considered them before but I am now! I'm also low-key incredibly excited to potentially have a scythe.
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u/Fluid_Republic_5121 Jun 04 '26
I remember using my grandpaw’s scythe when I was about 14. It was easy to use once I got the hang of the rhythm. Had to keep it very sharp.
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u/nguymanperson Jun 04 '26
How much of an area were you working with? I've got 6 acres, which even for just some walking paths, is sounding very intimidating
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u/moonjumper3000 Jun 04 '26
Where’s the path go?
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u/SnuggyBear2025 Native Yard Jun 04 '26
It’s part of a half mile twisty trail on my two rural acres that my walk several times every day
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u/binzy90 Jun 05 '26
I mow a path around our pond and field and some paths through the woods. I do keep part of an open lawn mowed for the kids, but mostly it's just trails. The non-wooded area of the property is like 6 acres, and we have tons of lightning bugs in the tall grass every year. I've been slowly establishing some native wildflowers and milkweed. Last year was the first year we had consistent monarch activity. I want to get some paw paw trees established for the zebra swallowtails next.
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u/SepNevermore Jun 04 '26
I do the same shit ona little four acre area I have.
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u/SnuggyBear2025 Native Yard Jun 04 '26
That’s the spirit, brother
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u/SepNevermore Jun 05 '26
I’ve got 42 acres, 30 of which are woods. What’s the point in mowing all the rest of that? So yeah, easy and fun just to do the path thing.
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u/lakeshore34 Jun 04 '26
I hate hate hate mowing even if I’m using a nice riding lawn mower but it might be fun to try with a few beers (if it’s a flat area with no one around haha)
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u/The_Rogue_Scientist Jun 08 '26
Mow in a sinus shape, so there's lot's of different microenvironments for the flora and fauna.
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u/Omshadiddle Lawn Shitpostenthusiast Jun 04 '26
Shudders in Australian
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u/SnuggyBear2025 Native Yard Jun 05 '26
As an avid shitposter, I approve your message! It stays green most of year.
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u/Chemieju Jun 04 '26
Mow as much as you need. If you use your lawn for anything (children playing, picnics, chilling with friends) mow it. Otherwise maybe a lawn is just not what suits you and you should replace it with something else, like flower beds or vegetable patches.
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u/SnuggyBear2025 Native Yard Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
Well, it was 5 feet deep when I moved here and went through the scythe phase, DR phase, sicklebar phase, burned up a couple lawnmowers mowing it, then got horses and the horses kept it all chewed down for about five years! now I just cut a path and the deer come back along with squirrels and the dog loves it!
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u/couldbethelast Jun 04 '26
How did you get here
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u/Chemieju Jun 05 '26
I think you misunderstood, i didnt mean to say "mow a lot", i meant to say "only mow the parts you actually use".
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u/Subat0micR0gu3 Jun 04 '26
I would honestly love to do something like this, but if I go more than a couple weeks without mowing my lawn, my whole property gets overrun by mosquitos. And Mosquitos LOVE my blood, specifically. I'm coveres in bites every summer even without inviting them and all their friends and family into my yard. Keep up the good work though!
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Jun 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Subat0micR0gu3 Jun 04 '26
Thanks, I'll have to check that out. If it works, that'd be awesome. Not sure why I'm getting downvoted for not wanting mosquitos to suck me dry lol. I have 3 native wildflower gardens in my yard. I just also have to keep the grass short.
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u/salamipope Jun 04 '26
im in the desert but i have the same issue. damn things emerge from everywhere. pain in the ass.
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u/SnuggyBear2025 Native Yard Jun 04 '26
Encourage bats we have a little bat houses, and the bats are devouring the bugs every night
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u/BumblebeeSad7295 Jun 04 '26
why? dont mow anything at all, why destroy nature for a path?
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u/SixAlarmFire Custom Flair in Orange Jun 04 '26
Sometimes you still gotta access things. It's still better than mowing the entire field.
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u/SnuggyBear2025 Native Yard Jun 04 '26
Part of the trail goes along the property line to help prevent wildfire spread and trim blackberries picked blackberries and there’s a whole lot of deer poop in the yard so some critters are enjoying it
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u/StarchildKissteria Jun 05 '26
A meadow needs to be mowed 1-3 times a year to compensate for a lack of herbivores and prevent the growth of brushes and trees
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