Weeks of 100-plus temperatures mean that the bermuda grass around the house and outbuildings has long since gone brown and dormant. The weeds, however, are loving it. These guys must have made some deal with the evolutionary gods, because they are thriving in the face of climate conditions that are more like Dubai than the USDA Hardiness Zone 7. Yesterday’s high was 114 degrees; the top leaves of my well-watered corn plants went from green to crinkly brown in one afternoon. But do you see any stress in this vegetation? It’s the epitome of verdant:
Which brings us to the subject of lawn care in this part of the world. I won’t indulge in King of the Hill comparisons because they’re just too easy. More revealing might be the inventory of the garage where our lawn care tools are stored: three riding lawnmowers and a push mower. Two of the riding mowers are well-loved tractor mowers that are used only in a pinch. The other is a twirly, zero-turn mower that came to us when a cousin upgraded. Here’s the thing: In this lawn care tribe, owning four lawn mowers is considered completely normal. Our cousin who upgraded has an immaculate garage bay that looks like the lawnmower lot outside Lowe’s. Weird, in this lawn culture, would be my Austin yard, where all the Saint Augustine has been replaced with gravel, vegetable garden, and xeriscaping.
Cranky Girls farm 
