How to Mow Around Flowers

Cut a header strip around your flowers.

For some, mowing the lawn is drudgery. For others, lawn mowing is an art. Mow early, cut across the slope, and tidy-up afterwards are just some of the rules that seasoned landscapers follow. Another rule that is just as important as the others is to cut header strips around the perimeter of the lawn. These header strips serve as a guide that determines cutting pattern. Header strips are cut along fences, around trees and along walkways and flower beds.

Instructions

1. Line up the wheels of one side of the lawn mower with the edge of the flower bed. If you have a side-discharge lawn mower, position the wheels opposite the discharge alongside the flower bed. If you have a mower with a bag, position it to either side.

2. Mow the grass in a straight line along the length of the flower bed. Continue mowing until you have completed one complete pass around the flowers.

3. Repeat the process in the opposite direction, mowing around the perimeter of the flowers once again while overlapping the original cut path by one-eighth the width of the mower. Continue the back-and-forth mowing pattern until the lawn mowing is complete.

Tips & Warnings

• If you cannot get close enough to the edge of the grass without mowing down the flowers, use a pair of grass clippers.

• Ideal lawn mower height is at least 2 1/2 inches or above.

• If your flowers are mulched with wood chips or stones, rake any that may be in the grass back into the flower bed. Running over these objects with the lawn mower can be dangerous.

References

• The Scott’s Miracle-Gro Company: How to Feed a Lawn
• Platt Landscaping: Mowing Tips

Resources

• Green Living: A Tutorial on Lawn Cutting
• Lawn Care Guide: Lawn Care and Lawn Maintenance Guide