It’s not enough to just pull out your Mower Source lawn mower, throw it back and forth a couple of times, and call it a day. To really get an ace-looking lawn, the devil lies in the details: mulching, watering and edging. In this post, we’ll take a look at the last point and what’s involved in getting your lawn looking as though it was professionally designed. Because at the heart of every beautiful lawn isn’t someone whose sole occupation is landscaping, but a person who’s able to recognize the difference between a job mostly done and a job really taken to the nth degree. Edging, in particular, keeps your lawn looking crisp and neat, even when the rest of it may be suffering a bit. The key is to make sure all areas are looked after, but for now, we’ll tackle edging.

Mow the Lawn First

To get the most accurate sense of how much you should be edging and what needs to be done, cut your lawn first. This’ll put the grass at a mostly even length throughout, and make your edging job a lot easier. Don’t worry too much about use a weed trimmer to really get the corners done well, as you’ll be focusing on that a little bit later on.

.

Mark out the Edges

There are some people who have a natural eye in being able to size something up right away, and quite accurately measure it for dimensions and perspective (think of hanging pictures on a wall). However, not everyone has this knack, so don’t leave anything to chance and measure it out by hand. When it comes to your lawn, you don’t have many second chances at making sure the lines are as straight, neat and even as they should be.

One way of marking out the edges is to use chalk to draw a line where you want your new edges to be. Once your line is drawn, take a spade or gardening shovel and make half-moon indentations a few inches deep. Or if you don’t have chalk, just lay out your garden hose in a straight line and make your half-moon indentations that way.

Separate the Turf from the Edges

Now that you know exactly where your edges are going to be, it’s time to take the turf out and create your new border. This can be both the easiest and hardest part of the process, as people can use either any tool they want or proper edging tools. If you’re up for a bit of MacGyver-ing, then go ahead and pull out those bits of turf with a spade, your hand, or anything else you’ve got around. But for an easier time — which also means investing in the right tools — then use an edger or pair of sharp shears. Whatever tool you use, just make sure you keep the edges going down at a right angle to make it look as good as possible.

.

Tidy Up the Last Few Details

There are two ways of finishing up your edging job:

Check out Mower Source for everything you need to give yourself a great-looking lawn, whether it’s our stellar collection of lawn mowers or that edger you need to make your job easier. And with whatever you buy, enjoy free shipping to the lower 48 states.

Your yard is something to be proud of, but it requires a lot of work to get there. You have to put in the hours making sure the soil is good, the grass is watered and cut to a decent level, and pulling weeds. Another part of the job is the cleanup, making sure all the pesky little bits of debris are out of sight and out of mind. When it comes to leaves, there are so many of them it just doesn’t make sense to get on your hands and knees and remove them one by one. Enter the leaf blower, that little machine that pushes them into one neat little corner, making your job infinitely easier. But did you know that there’s actually a process to follow when getting a leaf blower? Read on to find out what you need to know before getting one.

.

Light-Duty Electric Leaf Blowers: For Basic, Small Jobs

Not everyone lives in an area where it thunderstorms leaves every time the wind whispers, and these are perfect for a light smattering of leaves. If all you need to do is blow a little bit of dirt or leaves from your deck or driveway, then this electric one — also known as a “corded broom” — is perfect for you. Plus, they have little motors, which only produce a little bit of noise.

Heavy-Duty Electric Leaf Blowers: For When the Job’s a Little Tougher

Say you want to do more than just tidy up your deck or driveway, like you want to actually move onto your lawn now. For that, pick up a heavy-duty electric blower and head straight for your grass. These have a bigger motor and are capable of moving more weight around, and you can plug it into an extension cord to make sure you get all areas of your lawn. And depending on the kind you get, you may just be able to turn it into a vacuum for your flowerbeds, too.

.

Handheld Gas Leaf Blowers: A Little Bit of Freedom to Move Around

While one of the big advantages of an electric leaf blower is the lack of filling up a motor — which makes them quieter, too — their big downside is their reach. A gas leaf blower, on the other hand, lets you go wherever you want. They are quite a bit heavier than electric leaf blowers, but the 30cc or 40cc engine can do just that much more. Just remember to always have mixed gasoline on hand so you never run out.

Backpack Gas Leaf Blowers: Hands-Free and Ready to Roar

We’re finally onto the monsters of all leaf blowers, as these ones are so big and powerful, they’re best worn strapped to your back instead of lugged around in your hands. They can blow anything anywhere you want, so just remember to get one that has an air circulator and vibration-reducer on the back. You’ll also want to go upwards of 40cc to really maximize its potential.

The choice is always yours when it comes to what kind of leaf blower you want to get, but buying the right one for the job will make you that much more efficient. But whether it’s a gas or electric leaf blower you want, we’ve got what you need. And no matter what you pick out, there’s always free shipping to the lower 48 states.

While some homeowners may be content to shop for a Mower Source lawn mower, wait for it to be shipped, and use it once it arrives, there’s a lot more to a tidy green lawn than just the mower. Accessories can be the make or break factor for a job done easily, and we’re here to show you the top ones that would love to find a home in your shed. We’ve selected our list based on necessity, cost and efficiency, always keeping you, our dear reader, in mind.

.

1. Replacement Blades

Just like tires are one of the most important parts of you car, blades perform the same function. If we had to isolate one part, and one part only, that help your lawn mower do the best job possible, it’d be the blades, hand down. They make constant contact with grass blades, cutting them down to just the length you’ve set it to. But dull blades? All you’re doing is pressing down the blades, making the job a lot harder for yourself and leaving your lawn looking sloppily cut. A set of spare blades will only set you back about as much as it costs to go to the movies, give or take a bag of popcorn or two.

2. Lawn Mower Cover

We know that when the top priority is buying land and a house, other things can get compromised, like storage space. However, a lawn mower is not one of the things that should be left exposed to the elements, as the sun, rain, dirt and wind can wreak a little bit of havoc on your machine. The UV rays from the sun can damage your tires, the rain can rust the metal parts, and the wind and dirt can cause tiny little critters to make your lawn mower their new home. Buying a lawn mower cover is a bit pricier than a set of spare blades, but it’s still a worthy investment when you factor it against the cost of buying a new lawn mower prematurely.

.

3. Mulching Kits

We’ve written before about how much better it is to mulch your lawn — especially using the materials available on your lawn itself — than to simply mow it. It revitalizes your grass, adds incredibly important nutrients, and helps keep your lawn healthy, happy and long-living. And while you could take the long way around by mulching by hand or trying to MacGuyver your lawn mower to do it, it’d be so much easier to just get a mulching kit and have your work cut in half. The price is quite a bit higher than the previous two entries (think the mid-100s), but think of this analogy: washing clothes with a manual washing machine is free, but it takes an incredibly long amount of time and a lot of elbow grease. A washing machine, on the other hand, can be pricey in comparison, but makes the job so much more incredibly easier. A mulching kit is the same way.

You’ve got a Mower Source lawn mower, you’ve got the three lawn mower accessories you need, and now you’ve got an incredible summer set ahead for you. But just in case you don’t have any of what we just talked about, take a look at our inventory and find the perfect products for yourself. Not only do we have free rush-order processing, but we have free shipping on every single item, too.

Lawn mowers, no matter what the details are, essentially come in one of two forms: riding or walk behind. The kind you choose has a lot to do with personal preference, but the factor of necessity comes into play, too. Should you really buy a riding mower if your lawn is smaller than a postage stamp? Conversely, how effective will a walk behind mower be if your yard is almost as big as a baseball field? In this article, we take a look at the pros and cons of getting a walk behind mower so you can see if it’s the right one for you.

Exercise

There’s no comparison at all when it comes to riding lawn mowers and walk behind lawn mowers. None at all. With a riding lawn mower, the most exercise you’ll get is turning the wheel or hopping on and off. But with a walk behind mower, you’re giving your body one heck of a good workout.

It takes serious strength and endurance to operate a walk behind mower efficiently and cleanly, and it’s one of the easiest ways to get in shape during the warmer months. Plus, you’re using major muscle groups in your body: your legs, to walk with the mower; your arms, to push it; and your core; to keep a perfect balance between you and the machine.

Con

It’s fun to get a workout with a walk behind mower…until the mercury hits the triple digits. Then, it seems like you’re mowing every blade of grass on this planet with no end in sight. And for people with heart or lung problems, it can be a deadly exercise. If you’re going to use mowing the lawn as a way to get in shape, start slow and talk to your doctor first.

.

Efficiency

Walk behind mowers lag behind their riding cousins, but it’s hardly fair to compare the engines. The former has about as much pep as your dishwasher, while the latter are almost motor vehicles. But instead of comparing the two in terms of pound-for-pound power, let’s look at what each is able to do in terms of what it’s got.

In this case, the walk behind mower wins — again. It’s got a relatively tiny engine that needs hardly any maintenance, comes in gas or electric forms (can the riding mower boast of that?), and performs with the heart of a lion. The riding mower, on the other hand, requires a lot more maintenance because of its bigger size, and can’t be plugged in.

Con

The smaller engine does mean more work for you, so when comparing engine size and the time it takes to get the job done, the walk behind mower falls back a bit. This isn’t so noticeable when you’ve just got a decent-sized lawn but move up in property size, and you’ll really notice the difference.

Cost

You can buy walk behind mowers for a couple hundred dollars and start using them right away. With riding mowers, though, you’re looking to spend a lot more, plus learning how to use the controls while mowing the lawn neatly. There’s just about no learning curve on a walk behind mower, making that and their cheap cost what the Apple products of the world should be.

Con

Cheap doesn’t always equal good, and you’ll have to do your homework before you invest in a walk behind mower. You don’t have to read pages and pages of material on lawn mowers, just keep checking back with our blog to get all the best tips and pointers.

If you’re in the market for a walk behind mower, we’re more than happy to supply you. All of our mowers are of the best quality and come with free shipping to the lower 48 states.