Decades
ago, we had garden shears in our house.
Actually,
that might not be the right name. I’m thinking of the style for
lawn and grass, blades about six or so inches long, and you squeezed
the handle to use them. I always remember thinking of them as
garden shears. Anyway…
Recently,
I began thinking about them. Between drainage ditches, fences,
and assorted other obstacles, caring for the lawn and plants around
our house can be quite a project. One issue are two garden-like
areas we have on the ends of our house. Lawn mower is out, since
we’re talking about plants and flowers and not nearly enough room
for something as awkward as that. A weed whacker is a bit haphazard
as well. (I’m going with weed whacker. You can call it whatever
you like. Edger. Trimmer. I’m fine with that. No matter what the
name is, I end up ALWAYS misjudging the line feed at some point
and cutting leaves on plants I want to keep.)
The
trouble is, these beds of plants tend to get rather busy and overgrown
quite quickly. And, attempting to keep up with it using traditional
methods of weeding would wind up with me outside for hours upon
hours to clear a whopping few feet.
For
whatever reason, recently my mind flashed back to something from
my childhood. It was a battery powered garden shear. You may have
seen them. It usually consists of two plates with three or four
prongs, attached to a motor, battery and handle. Simple. And I
don’t have one.
In
fact, I don’t have the regular garden shears around the house
either. And that’s the thing that really stuns me.
See,
I tend to collect tools when I need them. And when I get them,
I keep them. For instance, there’s a dirt road next to our house.
Stones all around, uneven bits from tires heading through during
muddy days, and in general just a nightmare for a lawn mower to
operate near. Everything you could possibly imagine for banging
around a blade and causing damage. So, I’ve kept an older mower
that I use just for that section. No need to destroy a good one
by trying to mow a stretch of gravel.
Probably
just like many of you, I have several hose sprayer nozzles, shovels,
rakes, and even multiple watering cans. I do not have a pair of
garden shears. Two wet vacs. No shears. A croquet set, including
the handles from two broken mallets. No shears.
All
of which got my tangent of a mind working on two things. Number
one, figure out how it happened that I have lived in houses with
Terry for multiple decades, and yet, somehow, we don’t have a
pair of garden shears anywhere. Number two, add battery powered
garden shears to the list of things to check out and possibly
pick up in the next few weeks.
It’s
kind of a mystery, isn’t it?
Hammer?
Yup, got a hammer. Screwdrivers? Sure, got those. Flashlight?
Sprinklers? Spare propane tank for the grill? Yes. Yes. Yes.
If
you own a home, or even if you took care of one you were living
in, you probably understand the idea. There are a few assorted
tools and pieces of equipment that you are going to accumulate
over time. What is throwing me off though is kind of simple…
Garden
shears seemed so universal as a kid. Parents had them. Grandparents
had them. I don’t. I’ve bought multiple lawn mowers. I even have
an electric hedge trimmer. In fact, I have a pair of those really
long blade hedge shears and a lopper. A lopper. I have a lopper.
But somehow, in roughly thirty-plus years, and I have never picked
up a pair of garden shears, basic or battery powered.
The
obvious answer to all of this is that I never needed them. I either
found alternatives, or just never was presented with a lawn where
they would have been the solution. What once was a fairly handy
and routine household item no longer is. (At least for me.)
Does
that mean, in essence, they’re obsolete? Or, does it just mean
I’ve had blinders in place and for the past several years I’ve
been working harder as a result?
They
say experience is the best teacher, and there are sound reasons
to support such a claim. But sometimes, a decent memory deserves
credit for an assist.