The neighborhood bad seed

In my neighborhood, a very respectable neighborhood full of mostly retired people with lots and lots of time on their hands for performing various lawn-care tasks, I am the bad seed.

Literally. My lawn, which is managed by my teen-aged son who cuts it as low as possible to extend the time between cuts, thereby burning it brown by early August, is currently filled with dandelions going to seed. Soon, they will be borne on the wind to all my neighbors' beautifully cared-for lawns. They won't thank me for this.

One neighbor told me recently that when someone drives by my house, it is obvious that the lawn is managed by a kid. 

Which it is.

He worried, because he's a genuinely nice guy, that a potential employer, seeing our poor excuse for a lawn, will judge my son a lazy-no-account and will not hire him to flip burgers, or whatever, based on the sad-looking expanse surrounding my otherwise decent-looking house. 

Okay, the lawn isn't great, though it isn't terrible, either. But I don't think it'll keep my kid from ever being gainfully employed.

And I have to admit that I'm okay with not having the best lawn on the block.

Are you hearing this, my brother who lives across town and has a perfect lawn?

As far as I, a full-time, single, working mom, am concerned, my lawn must be mowed weekly, weeded very well once in the spring and then catch-as-catch-can the rest of the summer. Done. 

I'm not completely unsympathetic to the situation. I'm considering treating the lawn with weed and seed. That would kill the dandelions.

Meanwhile, I'll talk to my son about setting the bar a bit higher. Literally. That may keep things green through August.

I may even have his older brother, visiting this week on leave from the Marines, teach him how to weed-whack. 

And to any of you who live next door to me, or across the street, or within wind-range of dandelion seeds, I apologize. (You might try wishing on one of those dandelion seeds that things will improve!)

By the way, dandelions are a favorite of honey bees, which are in trouble, and I could argue that I'm providing a cash crop for them so I get their honey later on. Just a thought.

Please feel free to spend any spare time you have after caring for your own lawn 20-30 hours a week weeding my gardens. I respect you, but can not, at this time, emulate you. Thank you!

~ The Management of the Seedy House down the street