I have been noticing how the use of leaf blowers in gardens and yards has increased as of late. Not just the professionals are using them, but everybody seems to have one. Heck, I have one too.
Leaf blowers are interesting, most have two settings (at least) one (the one used most frequently) is the BLOW function; the second (seldom used as far as I can see) is the vacuum function.
This is one of those tools which can be a two edged sword, they speed up our work in the garden or yard and make the immediate yard look clean and well manicured, yet they also increase the ugliness of the world with noise ,,, and what happens with the stuff they blow? Where does it go, and who deals with it?
Now, I don’t believe these machines are the curse of the devil, though if you happen to be in an area with 3 or more gardeners using them at once you will most likely disagree with me. I believe that like most things in life the blessing curse ratio depends on how they are used. When used in the vacuum function, they can be quite useful tools. A leaf blower in this mode, takes in the “debris” and digests it into a more manageable mélange in smaller bits and pieces to be composted and put back into the yard in a more useful and helpful form, or disposed of in neat way in the garbage, your choice! Yes the noise is still there and if you are using a gas powered one, the damage to the ozone layer and air quality still exist, but the yard is still neat and the job is done in a jiff. I have noticed very few people using this tool in this manner however. The most used function of this machine is the BLOW function. In this mode the machine throws out a constant stream of hot air that causes the debris in ones own yard to be forced out into what are most often areas not in ones own yard (that is to say streets, alleys, neighbors yards, the air, you get the picture). The responsibility for the cleanup of the debris is no longer yours!! The debris doesn’t vanish, but rather is spread around for others to deal with. The job is MUCH quicker and dirt is EVERYWHERE especially on anyone who happens to be in the area where the blower is being used. No one comes out clean! The soil has no chance of being enriched and its fertility decreases over time because of the hot air continually blowing over its surface.
Hmmm “Hear what the spirit is saying to God’s people”
The vacuum mode is still noisy but the dirt is still in ones own yard, to be taken care of by the gardener, themselves. If they truly take responsibility for their own garden then they may require the use of a composter and no debris is thrust upon others but rather their garden grows richer. Who knows, maybe they will grow in their love of the garden and move to the old rake and the peace and contemplation that comes with its use. The weed seeds are not scattered to the neighbor’s yard and the neighbor is left to deal with their garden in their own pace.
Gardening is an interesting hobby, it is infectious, when one garden in a neighborhood grows and blooms, other neighbors want to try to get the same results in their own yard and maybe develop a garden. A gardener has to always remember that every yard is different, the soil varies, the amount of sun, the commitment of the neighbor and their abilities to garden are all factors in every gardens success. Be patient and loving and by all means, don’t blow your weed seeds into the neighbors yard, and don’t be presumptuous enough to pull what you think are weeds in your neighbors yard.
Peace
Bruno
