Note that if you purchase something via one of our links, including Amazon, we may earn a small commission.
Leaf blowers blow! Do this instead …
“On the day that I am crowned king, I will see every leaf blower and lawn mower thrown into a pit and set aflame. We will dance around the bonfire of insanities through the night, and come morning we will sit in sweet, sane silence, and we will listen to the Birds sing.”
– Chloe Hope, Death and Birds
Dear Reader,
Dot’s thoughts about leaf blowers are almost as loud as the offending machines themselves. So I am always delighted to welcome fellow cranks, like Chloe Hope from Dot’s beloved Death and Birds newsletter, to my Legion of the Mechanically Disinclined. But here’s the thing, Reader. Alternatives (delightfully quiet alternatives!) exist for those who must bend to the cultural aesthetic of tidy lawns — the “tyranny of the decision that taming nature was more important than listening to it,” as Chloe Hope puts it. Consider the satisfyingly rhythmic whack, whack, whack of a manual mower. The glorious crunch of dried leaves being raked into a pile. Or, better! The chirps, the rustle, even the rumble and boom of nature left to its business.
Ready to embrace that natural noise, Reader? Then consider rewilding your yard (now is a good time to get planning!). Or, if you must, let Bluedot’s Room for Change columnist guide you toward the electrification of your yard equipment (quieter, and also far less polluting).
As for Dot, I’ll be making my own noise, muttering and cursing lawn enforcement. To them, I offer up the triumphant black-eyed Susans that thrive in the ¼ inch crack in concrete between my driveway and front stoop. Long live messy, relentless nature.
Hushedly,
Dot
Leave your leaves to boost the health of your lawn.
For more Bluedot Climate Quick Tips, click here.
