JEFF CAPLAN'S MY MINUTE OF NEWS
Jeff Caplan’s Minute of News: NO MOW MAY
May 21, 2024, 5:55 PM | Updated: May 22, 2024, 9:05 am
TAUNTON, ENGLAND - MAY 15: Detailed view of the lawnmower as Groudsman Gary Higgins cuts the outfield at Kings College Taunton. The coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, are having a fundamental impact on society, government, sports and the economy in United Kingdom. As all sports events in United Kingdom have been cancelled athletes struggle to continue their training as usual on May 15, 2020 in Taunton, England. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Editor’s note: This is an editorial piece. An editorial, like a news article, is based on fact but also shares opinions. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and are not associated with our newsroom.
SALT LAKE CITY — Are you participating in No Mow May? It’s where you don’t mow your lawn the entire month.
Didn’t think so.
But it’s a thing, which is said to help the environment. Not mowing allows insects to flourish, strengthens biodiversity and drives Homeowner Associations out of their dang minds.
It also lets you be a slacker for an extra hour or two on the weekend. But now there’s another way to kick back and relax.
Robotic lawnmowers are becoming more sophisticated. Like its cousin the Roomba, the automated lawnmower maps your lawn, bouncing off obstacles, but you have to bury wires to set a boundary. The automower will get into the nooks and crannies where you’d normally have to have to twist and reverse your traditional mower back and forth. With a robot, you not only get to be a slacker, but you can track the lawnmower on your phone while you sit there. When it’s running out of juice, the good ones will hustle back to the charging station on their own and then pick up where it left off.
These gizmos leave tinier chopped-up clippings so there’s no bag to empty. And now, one of these mowers even embraces biodiversity. The Hoosk-vana Automower has a new feature… creating a zone on your property for biodiversity — by leaving it unmowed.
So yeah… you pay for a mower that doesn’t mow. A little counter-intuitive. But with rewilding mode, you set the thing to ignore 10-20% of your lawn, let it grow, let the bees flourish and let your neighbors get furious.
The price tag for this joy depends on battery size and features. Typically $500 to $2500 bucks. But a weekend off? Priceless.
Jeff Caplan is the host of Jeff Caplan’s Afternoon News on KSL NewsRadio. Follow him on Facebook and X.
