We recently did a large landscaping project (as I mentioned earlier) and it is really beautiful. However, since we did it immediately before one of the worst heat waves of the summer, all the new plants need water. Every day.
So, instead of having a yard which we spent maybe 30 minutes a week on (20 minutes mowing and 10 minutes pulling weeds) we now have a yard which we spend 30 minutes per day watering and 1.5 hours per week mowing. It strikes me that the time commitment is similar to walking a dog or taking care of some other pet, but with less fur.
To be clear, the yard when we spent 30 minutes per week on it was very unsatisfying and not enjoyable. And the new yard offers a satisfying beauty and peace that a cat would not (and there are no vet bills). I'm thinking that we just need to re-evaluate how much time it takes to take care of a yard that we enjoy, and spend the time accordingly so we don't spend the money later.
Probably there are some long-term jobs for kids in this yard. We'll have to see if we can teach them and make it possible for them to do the jobs themselves.
So, instead of having a yard which we spent maybe 30 minutes a week on (20 minutes mowing and 10 minutes pulling weeds) we now have a yard which we spend 30 minutes per day watering and 1.5 hours per week mowing. It strikes me that the time commitment is similar to walking a dog or taking care of some other pet, but with less fur.
To be clear, the yard when we spent 30 minutes per week on it was very unsatisfying and not enjoyable. And the new yard offers a satisfying beauty and peace that a cat would not (and there are no vet bills). I'm thinking that we just need to re-evaluate how much time it takes to take care of a yard that we enjoy, and spend the time accordingly so we don't spend the money later.
Probably there are some long-term jobs for kids in this yard. We'll have to see if we can teach them and make it possible for them to do the jobs themselves.
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