Article March 4, 2013 Issue

Sparing the wildflowers

Patrick Collins

This originally appeared as a “Living Christian Science Today” blog on JSH-Online.com. 

On many weekends, my John Deere mower cranks up with a bang and a roar.

My wife and I have a couple of acres of grass to mow; the rest of the property is in garden and woods. I am under considerable pressure to keep the lawn trimmed as we have a neighbor, Smokey, who manicures his lawn to a T and there is never a weed or an errant blade of grass.

Now I have a slight difference of opinion with my wife. She likes the way that Smokey mows—neat, trim, consistent, a beautiful lawn. She sometimes asks, “Why did you leave those weeds in little patches all over the lawn? Why can’t our lawn look like Smokey’s?” She is very loving and understanding, but neat, orderly, and loves symmetry.