"Why would anyone want to work in their yard every weekend?"
"I just don't have time for yard work."
"My weekends are for relaxing, watching TV."
Some people don't care about yard work. They either hire it out, or do the minimum just to make sure their neighbors don't call the city on them. On the other hand, there is an army of homeowners out there who are passionate about their yards.
But why do people like working in their yards? What is the motivation?
1. The Competitor
We all know this person; he needs to win at everything. When it comes to his yard, he obsesses for the greenest grass and manicured bushes. You'll catch the Competitor fertilizing his yard multiple times throughout the year. Evil dandelions dominate his nightmares. A day doesn't go by without his sprinkler-system "making it rain".
You might be thinking, "They care about other things too, I see him and his wife going for nice neighborhood walks all the time". Don't be naïve – their "walks" are recon missions to scope out the competition's attempts to take his best-yard crown.
Side Note: Many of us complain that retirees have a huge competitive advantage in the yard-maintenance game. This may be true, but their extra free time is well within the rules. Suck it up and find a way to get to that same level.
2. The Unplugger
Technology is amazing. The information, entertainment and connectivity we all have in the palms of our hands is mind-blowing. It's also tiring. Non-stop work emails or social media consumption is not good for the mind, body or soul.
The Unplugger understands the value of disconnecting from her devices. The time working in her yard is an escape from staring at screens all week. She leaves the phone inside as she spends a few glorious hours outside.
Soaking up some vitamin D while mowing the lawn each weekend is vital to the Unplugger's health. Running her hands through the soil while planting a geranium boosts her well-being. Letting her mind wander and "zone out" while she pulls weeds proves great for her sanity. Yard work is therapeutic.
3. The Entertainer
We are social beings. Our best memories are experiences shared with people we like. Think about some of the happiest moments in your life – I bet you weren't by yourself.
Nothing makes the Entertainer happier than having some friends and family over to hang out in his backyard. With his eyes on the prize of a killer afternoon cookout, he's out early to get his space looking great. He's the guy that will be mowing his lawn during a morning drizzle, because his biggest fear would be to have guests dealing with his unkempt grass.
The entertainer strategizes his landscaping efforts with hosting in mind. "I can't plant a tree there, that's where we always set up the cornhole boards." "The Weber grill is nice, but we need to add an outdoor kitchen for some counter space". "It's hot during our 4th of July party, we could use a shade tree in this area".
4. The Florist
Some people know the lawn needs to be mowed, but believe the real yard magic is provided by our friends, the flowers. The Florist gets great satisfaction when pulling into her driveway to an array of colors in the landscaping. Seeing a yard with nothing but monotone green grass, bushes and trees makes her cringe.
The Florist understands seasonality. It is no accident that in early spring you see her primrose in full color, followed by the late spring bloom of her iris. Do you think it's just "lucky" that her delphinium blossom at the start of summer, and the yellow daylilies light up the neighborhood in mid-summer? I guess it's just a coincidence that her lavender decided to start spewing the sweetest aromas in late-summer. Can you at least give her credit for the early-autumn explosion of her black-eyed susans, and the vibrant fall colors provided by her mums?
The Florist doesn't mess around, and her yard is always eye-catching.
5. The Busy-Bee
When we go on vacation, my wife and I enjoy chilling on the beach. When my friend takes some time off, he prefers to jam-pack his family's itinerary. Some people just can't sit still, they need to be doing something all the time.
The Busy-Bee can't sit around on a weekend. He needs to get outside and get some things done. His lawn is probably big enough for a riding lawn-mower, but he chooses to push-mow it. As soon as those leaves start falling off the trees, he's out there raking them up. Those 3 inches of snow will probably melt this afternoon, but you better believe that the Busy-Bee is out shoveling the driveway first thing in the morning.
The Busy-Bee gets a strong sense of accomplishment from knocking out projects. He has a pretty successful career, because he's always working hard and getting stuff done. Needless to say, his yard is generally in strong shape as well.
6. The Parent-Of-The-Year
I grew up in a somewhat rural area. My parents provided my siblings and me some great acreage to run around, a pond to fish in, and a basketball hoop to shoot at. Although we lacked neighborhood kids to play with, I greatly appreciate my childhood set-up for playing outside.
The Parent-Of-The-Year may have great memories of playing outside as a kid, and wants to ensure his kids do as well. Or, perhaps his childhood was lacking in space to play outside as a kid, and he vows to do everything he can to create an amazing outdoor area for his kids.
You see that house with the impressive playset? Little Gavin loves it. Did you notice the newly erected basketball hoop? It's adjustable so little Livi can make it in. It's pretty cool how they have such a huge side-yard, right? Little Alex invites his friends over for neighborhood whiffle-ball games. Can you believe they also have a pool? Little Ella just learned how to dive in without plugging her nose. Isn't their grass always cut so nicely? Little Connor needs to have the grass at regulation height to practice his soccer.
#Parent-Of-The-Year
What kind of yard-worker are you? What really motivates you to get out there and make your space amazing? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Shawn Langton
Founder, CEO – Kujo Yardwear