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Thread: Landscape Design-mowering

  1. #1
    Member geejay's Avatar
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    Default Landscape Design-mowering

    Hi

    Do the gardens you garden/mow take into consideration the practical aspects of preforming ones task more effciently?

    Could the garden designer/architect designed the garden better?

    I can think of several gardens that with a little extra thought from the designer would have made the maintenance more effcienent and easier on the maintanance crew. One is multi leveled garden . We have two crew carry equipment from one area to the next,time consuming and frustrating.Another is another garden with large blue stone pavers with violas in between two mowing areas,diffcult to push a mower on this kind of surface,again two crew to carry stuff.A firm ground cover between the pavers would make pushing the mower across the pavers much easier.

    Cheers

  2. #2
    Senior Member Mrs HMS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering

    Yes there are some shockers out there. The worst one we have is actually my sister's! The entire area is ringed with garden beds full of large NZ Flax, these of course hang over the edging making it a complete PITA to whippersnip (get one of those long leaves wrapped around the snipper head and you'll know what I mean).

    The job takes us longer because they all have to be pegged back before any whippersnipping can begin. At least this good customer understands this and is happy to pay for the extra time.

    On that note...can anyone tell me the best time to cut back the Flax?
    ~ Joanne ~

  3. #3
    Member geejay's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering

    When to cut back flax?

    I know how to grow(Nz and RSA) flax,they are split in November,each split :the leaves are cut back and roots prunned,dipped in benlate(fungicide) and bagged up and keep in a cool area(50%) shade,then moved to full sun.This may are may not help with you wanting to prune.Normally in situ it would be after flowering.I know that the Nz folk prune off the outside of the flax(old leaves) at a 45 degree angle as part of routine maintenance.To keep plant tidy.

    Cheers.

  4. #4
    Member geejay's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering

    Can confirm the only maintanance a flax should have under normal growing circumstances is a cutting off(at 45 degrees) of old leaves.

    Cheers

  5. #5
    Senior Member Mrs HMS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering

    Thanks Geejay
    ~ Joanne ~

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    Translawner administrator's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering

    Dont forget to add pictures to a post makes it more interesting

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  7. #7
    Junior Member waterfront landscapes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering

    hi miss HMS, i usualy cut them back after the flower spike, or when new growth starts to form, then you cut back all the old leaves and leave all the healthy new leaves on.
    Last edited by administrator; 12-07-2008 at 12:18 PM.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Leon241's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering

    what if the plant is getting too big for where it's planted? Are a good set of hedge shears, (eg wolf etc.) the best bet for doing it? Did one recently but only with Echo hedger, kinda messes up the leaves and leaves them looking ratty. Would good shears would give a nice clean cut?
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  9. #9
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering

    Quote Originally Posted by Leon241 View Post
    what if the plant is getting too big for where it's planted? Are a good set of hedge shears, (eg wolf etc.) the best bet for doing it? Did one recently but only with Echo hedger, kinda messes up the leaves and leaves them looking ratty. Would good shears would give a nice clean cut?
    Best thing to cut flax leaves I've found is a good pair of wiltshire sissers. Just don't tell Mrs Cranbourne, she has been looking for hers the last 12 months. HaHaHa.

  10. #10
    Senior Member AL73's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering

    The best method I have come up with is to run rope around them, tie a loop in the rope, pull as tight as you can to form something that looks like a tight bunch of flowers. Get the petrol hedger out and cut the top off. Undo the rope and the plant springs back out - looks a little rugged but recovers very quickly. I always tell my customer that it's going to look like a bad haircut but will grow out and look fine in a couple of weeks.
    Al
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  11. #11
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering

    The best method I have come up with is to run rope around them, tie a loop in the rope, pull as tight as you can to form something that looks like a tight bunch of flowers then attach to tow bar and drive forward a couple of feet. another method i would recommend is to Get the petrol hedger out and take the top off the fuel tank pour over weed and then apply a flame . I always tell my customer that no matter what i do it's going to look like crap because that's what they are
    Anything Ian says may or may not be garbage, it may also be his own opinion or it may not be his opinion at all, it may just be something he felt like stating anyone following his advice does so at their own risk and may be doing something Ian would actually advise against.
    And if you don't like what Ian has to say use the ignore function if you don't know how ask i will gladly tell you

  12. #12
    Member Redeye's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering





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  13. #13
    Senior Member GardenGuy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Landscape Design-mowering

    Some of the older properties I mow had their gardens designed to be easy to service. However, some of them have been serviced by guys who don't understand how to use a mower strip. You know - the kind that go heavy handed on whippy edging and leave a channel the size of the Suez Canal between the turf and the hard edge.

    Some of the more recent 'knock down rebuild' sites have been designed by someone who seems to think that the owner will maintain it with a 16" mower. What the designer fails to consider is that the owner will probably have no interest in doing site maintenance themselves, and that contractors don't use kiddy toys...

    It's possibly the fault of the educational institution the 'designer' passed through. In a previous career, a very, very reputable design college didn't teach students the difference between preparing art for print (>300 dpi, pref 450 - 600 dpi, depending on the print process) and preparing art for internet/on-screen display (72 - 96 dpi) - resulting in a major re-work of a 300 page presentation document, after proofing. Costs were scary... [shudder].

    Cheers - GardenGuy.
    My Garden Guy - www.mygardenguy.com.au. Visit us at Facebook too! Visit our Blog for seasonal updates and hints about what your garden needs now.
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