A Gardening Workout That Deserves a Power Tool Badge
Over the last couple of days, I have checked off tasks that would meet requirements for several real badge:
But I really do think a Power Tool badge would be entirely appropriate.
In the lead-up to the fortnightly green-waste bin collection day, I put aside some time to mow the lawn. The beautiful Ballarat weather had caused the grass to grow faster than usual, and it was looking very mangy — long, dry, and full of yellow flowers. Not the sunflowers that I’ve been patiently tending from seeds, but the yellow-headed weeds that emerge uncontrolled and entirely uninvited in the lawn.
I have spent bursts of time over the last few days using some weed-removing tools from Bunnings. The long-handled device with a pincer at the end is quite effective at grabbing hold of the weeds and pulling them out by the roots, which is really quite satisfying. Realistically, there were far too many weeds to deal with in the time available, and it’s surprisingly tough on the muscles. I did make a hardy effort, but having run out of time, I mowed over the rest. I will return to the task of gradually pulling out the remaining weeds, but not today.
Front lawn mowed. Nature strip. And back lawn. All neat and tidy and noticeably more presentable alongside the neighbouring lawns. Still dry, but now free of yellow-flowered weeds.
The mowing was easy enough, with the added benefit of contributing nicely to my daily step count. And then things got more challenging. And more painful.
I have never quite mastered the whipper snipper. And I still haven’t, but I certainly gave it a good shot. Respooling the trimming line was a constant nuisance and almost certainly indicative of my poor technique. My arms ached, even though I kept swapping sides, and my fingers were sore from holding the two sections of the trigger. However, the results were surprisingly good. I uncovered extra width on the footpaths where the grass had quietly encroached, and cleared the mess around the water meter. I kept going and tackled all the tall weeds behind the shed. That was a massive undertaking. In the process, I rediscovered the compost bins that haven’t been used in years and even found the tap connected to the water tank — both presumed lost to history.
Thinking that there couldn’t possibly be a gardening tool capable of causing even more bodily pain, I grabbed the garden vacuum and sucked up all the loose grass and weed seeds. That must surely be the most awkward piece of equipment to use: heavy to carry and difficult to manoeuvre.
The whole experience was quite a painful work out.
