Avoiding electrical garden machines

Imagine sitting in the garden to listen to nothing but the birds and reading a book. 

Imagine having that superseded by next door's power mower starting up, then another beginning to strim back their unkempt area whilst someone else strikes up the petrol hedge/tree cutter plus associated chipper to "do something to the tree" that obviously restricts their sunbathing. 

Meanwhile, the local aerodrome sends up its usual plethora of single engined airplanes to loop the loop and practise engine off manoeuvres whilst large jets power down ready to land at Gatwick or City airport.

Then the children come out, screaming and shouting setting off the dogs which bark alongside creating a cacophony of noise before the next door's children on the other side come out to hurl loud abuse at a passing stranger before mother screams equal abuse at her children.

Oh, I forgot the drills and planes doing some construction or other somewhere close by with the workmen shouting to each other some banality.

Welcome to a standard weekday afternoon.

Ok, much of this noise is part and parcel of living on the outskirts of a small town, but some of that noise is unnecessary, stemming more from convenience and laziness.

Gone are the days of that clack-clack-clack as the human operated rotary mower gently trimmed the lawn and a snipping of secateurs or loppers attended to their functions. 

That sound of someone sawing through a branch or other, all complimenting the blackbird song.

Now the blackbird has to shout (scientifically proven in dB studies) to be heard. 

With growing pressures on electricity world wide and the need to reduce our fossil fuel usage, wouldn't it be sensible to reduce the unnecessary power hungry appliances? 

My garden uses no power tools. I have hand held shears, secateurs of varying sizes, the usual array of digging implements and an array of buckets. My garden is lush from growth and I benefit from the physical workout.

I save on gym membership, running in the park, sitting on a static bike or staring at the TV as I do exercises to the game I prefer. Instead I'm out side in the real weather enjoying the natural world at every stage. I get hot, cold, tired, exhausted, soaked but relaxed, elated, contented and generally at peace. I go in knowing I have completed something and stand in the kitchen admiring the handiwork.

Isnt it time we all started doing something for this world which has supported us so well this far? How about baby steps; start relying on our own innate strength and tend what plots we have. 

Start growing plants and watch nature return, start engaging with the natural world without relying on every electrical or motorised gadget to maintain that ever growing distance and find a level of mental wellbeing people seem to have lost sight of.

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