Health & Fitness
Consider the Dandelion
So beautiful or So What (with apologies to the great Paul Simon)
It seems like nobody cuts their own grass anymore.
The days of local kids walking around the neighborhood dragging a lawn mower behind them are long gone.
Just take a ride anywhere in Massapequa around 6:00pm (dinner time for many of us) and you'll hear the annoying screech of a leaf blower. You've got to love these guys. It's usually a crew of 3 or 4. They pull up, leap out of the truck like grass hoppers and are usually done in under 10 minutes. During that 10 minutes they cut the lawn, edge, churn up the soil in the beds, crank up the weed whacker and leaf blower & often times apply pesticides.
Find out what's happening in Massapequawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
But did you know that under Nassau County Law, landscapers are required to be licensed and insured? And if they apply pesticides, they are required to have a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Applicators License above and beyond their Nassau County license.
Before you hire a landscaper, it's important that you check that they have the proper licenses and insurance to work on your property. After all, what if they get injured while working on your property? You can check to see if your landscaper is licensed here: http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/vendor_lookupWeb/
or call Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs at (516)571-2600.
Find out what's happening in Massapequawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Are they properly trained to apply potentially dangerous chemicals to your lawn? That's the grass that your kids play on and your dog eats. Also, over time those chemicals leech into the ground and eventually will end up in our drinking water. What doesn't leech gets carried down the storm drain and will end up in the bay. For me, it's not worth the "perfect green lawn".
I happen to like dandelions. And I hate the sound of a leaf blower (especially at dinner time). Since I'm ranting, one more thing...I don't like when the landscaper blows the cut grass and dirt into the street. Don't they know it ends up blowing onto your neighbors property? Yeah, they know.
Get yourself a good old fashioned push reel mower. Maybe the cut isn't perfect, but so what? There's no gas to buy. It's fun to use, you'll get a little exercise and it's quiet & environmentally friendly. So it's Win Win (win win win). Your kids and your dog will thank you.
