Workers from the British Council strim and care to BARE and bone dry lawns, parks, and verges – mowing grass

Furious people have questioned why municipal employees are out tending to Britain’s barren and bone dry lawns, parks, and verges in the midst of the country’s lowest rainfall in 50 years.

In a ‘crazy’ action, local authorities in Kent, Wiltshire, Lincolnshire, the Isle of Wight, Worcestershire, and Hampshire have continued to use lawn mowers and strimmers in August when the grass is ‘deader than Elvis.’ The announcement comes after swaths of England were declared drought zones last week due to high temperatures, and the nation has just recently seen some rain in certain areas this week.

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Philip Reed filmed a municipal worker in Wiltshire wandering around an estate seeking for a place to perform his job while the surrounding area seemed to be full with yellow dead grass.

 

Experts advise not mowing your lawn if it becomes brown, increasing the height of your cut, or waiting till it rains again.

Experts on how to keep your lawn green during a drought say you must save moisture.

And declare that this is impossible if you cut the lawn too short.

 

‘An established grass with a good root system can tolerate times of drought,’ according to Gardener’s World.

 

‘When grass becomes brown, it seems like the whole lawn has perished, but it will revive once the rains come back.’

 

‘If your grass is still green and growing, altering your mowing schedule might assist. Raise the cut height and let the clippings fall (set your mower to cut the clippings small if possible).

 

‘Autumn is the period for restorative care, when parched lawns begin to green up again.’

 

According to Lawnsmith, “maybe the most essential lawn care task is to conserve moisture.” You must cut as high as possible:

 

Grass is 85% water, therefore removing it means eliminating water.

Long grass acts as a buffer between the dry heat and wind and the damp soil.

Long grass cools the soil, lowering evaporation.

Long grass collects more dew when nighttime temperatures are low, providing the lawn with a daily drink.

‘If the mower instructions allow it, mow without the box.’ If you set the mower to just remove the top, these tiny clippings will vanish in 24 hours, providing important moisture to the grass.

 

‘CAUTION: Keep the box on if weeds are sowing (flowering is not a concern). You should also mow with sharp blades to avoid water loss from jagged cuts with soft blades.’

 

Gardener’s World/Lawnsmith is the source.

 

 

On August 4, he tweeted in what looked to be gest: ‘[The] council strimmer man [is] vainly hunting for anything to strim.’

 

‘Man on a ride-on lawnmower cutting non-existent dead grass.’ Man with a leaf blower blowing no leaves or anything else. Tomorrow, municipal employees will empty empty bins and establish a library with no books.’

 

In response, someone referred to the council’s work as “dystopian,” since it looked to reveal no place for any work to be done despite maintenance employees being absent.

 

Stamford Town Council also earned the ire of Neil Mcivor, of Stamford, Lincolnshire, who said the council was’making dust rather than mowing grass’ on August 10, when ‘it’s deader than Elvis’.

 

Someone commented on his Facebook post, ‘I guess the heat drives people insane!’ ‘This includes me.’

 

Someone else joined them, saying, ‘I can’t believe that.’ We had them the other day at Ryhall as well. I haven’t trimmed the grass in at least a month, and even then it was difficult to tell whether you had.’

 

Another user said, ‘Who or whoever on earth determined that mowing the grass in this condition is a good thing?’ ‘A total waste of ratepayers’ money.’

 

Canterbury City Council was also chastised by radio personality Jules Serkin, who shared a photo on August 15 of a worker on a lawnmower doing what she believes is grass cutting but is really weed clearance.

 

‘Oh my gosh!’ she said. They’re mowing and strimming the grass. Isn’t this insane and a waste of money? ‘I can’t say anything.’

 

‘It’s not only the councils, I have a neighbor who does the same and then complains me his lawn is withering,’ one outraged user said.

 

‘Me, too. Every week, they pay their gardener to come and use a fuel mower and strimmer on it! Then they use a sprinkler to attempt to resuscitate it in between. Madness!’

 

Another observer said, ‘Looks like the golden hay-like grass saw in 1976.’ They might leave the grass for two to three weeks. Councils like wasting money on frivolous activities.’

 

‘Aside from making no sense to cut where there is no grass, it is total folly to cut grass or bush at all in the new climatic normal,’ said another on Twitter. The vegetation keeps the earth from drying out. Lower vegetation is protected by higher vegetation.’

 

More detailed how they had seen similar events at local governments, with one posting saying, ‘What a ridiculous waste of time and money.’ Shocking! The same things are happening in West Berkshire. Mowers are being sent across this [dry ground]. Why can’t they just utilize the contractors to water the street trees or something?’

 

‘The work witnessed on Tankerton Slopes last week was confined to merely battling persistent weed growth, which continues on regardless of the warm weather owing to their higher resilience,’ said a spokeswoman for Canterbury Borough Council. Certain kinds flourish in certain settings, and we want to maintain these regions as clean as possible.

 

‘In general, though, for obvious reasons, there has been very little lawn upkeep in recent weeks, and nothing like the typical routine.’ Staff have been moved to other relevant grounds care tasks, such as fly tip cleaning.

 

‘Our grounds care work is reviewed on a regular basis and is tailored to the weather.’ And, for the record, it is not based on the popular opinion on Twitter at the time.’ On August 10, Adam Shaker blasted Redditch Borough Council for “doing the same thing this week – but in the middle of the day with kids and dogs wandering about.” ‘It’s insane.’

 

But another user swiftly responded, ‘When do you suppose they’ll trim the grass?’ ‘In the dead of night?’

 

‘There is no grass to trim, and in a drought it has to be kept longer to conserve moisture, yet it hasn’t grown anyhow!’ said another person.

 

‘The idea is that doesn’t need trimming, and if you cut it short, it will turn brown,’ added another.

 

‘Our personnel are educated in health and safety and equipment usage,’ said a spokesman for Redditch Borough Council.

 

‘The grass in the play area would not be cut by a huge machine, and the operator would do a visual inspection of the location to verify that the operation could be done safely.’

 

Tina Tyler reported on Facebook on August 4th, while in Gosport, about employees mowing the lawns of municipal properties.

 

‘Is it me?’ she asked. Why is the city council mowing dead grass? Because the grass hasn’t grown in over a month, they’re simply kicking up dust.’

 

Another enraged homeowner agreed, saying, ‘The grass has already gone back into its roots, the new trees will die, and what a waste that would be.’ We had a few days of pretty heavy rain a few years back, and the municipality was watering Foster Gardens. Again, that makes no sense.’

 

‘No, it’s the employees’ fault,’ replied another. They are given a timetable of what they must accomplish! As is customary, the gardeners’ labor is dictated by those in the office who never visit the gardens.’