Study up before you mow again:

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thanks Geronimog it's Jonathan Green fast grow sun & shade grass. we are loving it. this is by far the best grass we have ever used. check them out www.jonathangreen.com

Maybe a walk way to the end with some round large pavers sunk, in the ground to break up the square look. A little color decor on the white walls, and maybe 2 or 3 large ceramic colorful pots w/tomatoes for color/eats, setting on more round pavers. Use a grass catcher or rake excess grass for mulch for your raised beads, which I would paint to match your curtain or barn red. A weed eater looks like it might do the trick, I love my Husqvarna with the new model twist and turn head, just thread it in and go, starts on first or 2nd pull, had it for 3 yrs. You're gonna have to get one for around the raised beds anyway... extry lighting, even a strand of led white christmas lights would be pretty at night., or rope lighting along the bottom of the fence. Looks like a great place for my nannies and 2 sets of twin goats just born...lol....they would take care of it in a hurry. I would also paint the back wall a bold color.

Most of all enjoy your space

A huge mirror on the back wall would also make it look larger and give light there.

Where are you located? I am impressed/shocked. Was this seeded or sodded? Perennial or annual? Never seen anything like this and would like to try it in parts of my lawn. Florida Girl

Patrinkac it's Jonathan Green Fast grow part sun & shade grass seeds. We grew this lawn from seed in less then 5 week. by week 3 we already had 4" grass. it's a lush lawn with a beautiful bright green color. just amazing quality. we are located in Bayonne, NJ. you can check out the product here www.jonathangreen.com

I have a reel mower as well. You may have let the grass get too long and the mower blades pushed some of the tall grass away instead of cutting it. Oddly enough the reel mower does better with wet grass than with tall stuff, so it is better to mow often. To get a more even cut after letting it get a bit long, I find I had to mow in several directions to get it back under control, so try mowing across or diagonally to even up the lawn.

Using the manual type mower may need to be lowered to get the grass under control. Drop the blades to 2" or lower. You may have to rake up the clippings at first. After that you can leave the clippings.You should not have to water it after cutting. The amount of water is relative to how much rain you get.

Tall grass mowed with a reel type never works and I've mowed for 60 years. Use a rotary mower and modify the grass chute (cover it with a plate of some kind) so it will mulch....and don't mow it when wet.

What about an electric mower? Just recharge and go.

sure, for a small yard like the one shown

Just a little at a time until it is under control. Don't try to mow it down to low at first. May have to rake for a few times but then after it's down to a reasonable height leave the clippings to feed your lawn. You might want to use a mulching blade for this.

Yes, like raem3814 said. It's a beautiful grass you have, you can make it like a plush carpet. But unlikely with a reel type mower.

It is too high and should be gradually mowed down to a mowing height of two inches. It is recommended to observe the 1/3rd rule which is never remove more than 1/3 of the turfgrass leaves during any one mowing. This will require several mowings with gradual mowing height reductions to get to the final desired mowing height. As for as watering, it is best to water at night or very early in the morning so not to extend the wetting period of the grass. Moisture = potential plant disease problems, especially with such a mat of grass. You could bale it into little hay bales! LOL. Good luck.

I had the same issue with mine at first :) I gently raked the clippings after mowing, and mowed everyday (
in different directions - the grass leaves seem to straighten up after a day) until the grass looked even again. It worked very well! I now mow on average 1-2x/week, depending on rain/watering, at the 2.5" setting and it stays nice and lush.

It looks nice and thick - good problem to have. I think it would like nice if you used an edger around the bricks and also the planters. I agree with turfdr. recommendations.

Put cement pavers all around at dirt level to frame the grass. You will not have to weed wack the edges all around. It will make your yard more polished-looking, and the grass will feel like a nice manicured rug. This will make it easier for you to mow the grass also. 3" is way too high - if left at this height ,then you will need to get mod brightly colored 70's lawn furniture to go with the shag rug!!! We have the same grass cutter. We cut 1" when it's wet season, and 2" when i'ts dry season. We don't bag the clippings - just rake in. It makes great fertilizer.

Make sure your mower blades are SHARP!

From what the picture shows, you let the grass get too long. You have to adjust the height setting on the cutter to deal with the length of the grass, lowering it the second time around. Also, make sure you clean the underbelly of the cutter, it's probably clogged with the long grass--do that each time you cut. Also, make sure the blade is sharp--is it new or old? Cutting long grass like that dulls it faster, that's why keeping it at a good length helps the grass and your cutter.

This is quite a small lawn - so 1" high is perfect as you can water it during dryer seasons. Shorter lawns look more pristine and manicured - like golf courses! This could be a putting green!! With the hole and flag.

In a very small greensward like this manicured grass is best, not too high and loose. Takes more watering and isn't perfectly ecofriendly, but it is just a small bit.

The fence wall could have some nice lattice work, possibly in dark green to contrast against the white fence, perhaps with some arches outlined, but flat against the fence, and with climbing roses or clematis or whatever you like growing. The arches would be trompe l'oeil and suggest depth. One higher in the center and two lower on either side.

I don't recommend a mirror outside, which could cause glare issues or safety issues. Greatly lightening up that end would help however, although some darkness is mysterious and draws one in. A little wall-mounted stone fountain here would be lovely and both attract birds and give a pleasing sound. Couple of seats there. The bowl of the fountain will work as a bird bath also.

The planters should be treated as containers, with the traditional tall spiky plants, focal points, as well as overflowing vines: filler, spiller, and thriller. Some lattice work above might be nice here too but could be too much. Have to try it. Paint the containers same white as fence.

Add a bird feeder and/or birdhouse, small ones, to attract more birds and sounds.

The existing retractable white and green awning is perfect. Leave it showing more of the time. Your color scheme is green and white with flowers and so on. Avoid red, closes in such a small space. Have as few chairs out as you use regularly, with a few folding outdoor chairs for guests when they come. Keep same style and color. You could also do a pergola instead of the awning at some future time.

Some kitchen herbs near the house in a small raised planter or grobox. String some lights by the awning for evening, and have a table for dining al fresco (not too big though). Costco is selling great lights at the moment, at least in CT. Japanese lanterns would be even better (on a strand of lights).

The cement pavers another recommended are too busy and harsh in my view. A steel (not rubber which gets cut up) rim will contain the grass for mowing, and not use up square footage with more hardscape. You have plenty of that already, at both ends. Maybe even remove some bricks at the far end.

Don't block the long view of the garden from the house. Avoid a path breaking up the lawn. An electric mower (corded or rechargeable) will work very well in this small area. A gas mower would be overkill unless you have a large front lawn as well. Very sharp and do bag clippings on a tiny lawn like this, which you can fertilize slightly if needed but doesn't look like it does.

Avoid clutter. Less is more here. Avoid pots and stuff hanging all over the fence. Keep your color scheme very tailored and simple with the color coming from flowers and vines. A tall thin evergreen, not twisted, in the two corners near the house door.

Enjoy every minute there and all best wishes.

I'm

You may just have to mow twice each time. Once with the blades higher, and then go back again with them lowered.......I think this is the price of a hand mower!!

Your mower is not cutting even because your mower blades are not sharp enough, it the blades of the grass is jagged this is one way you can tell if the blades are not sharp enough, you should have your mower sharpened, your mowing height is correct this will also help save water and keep the blades moist longer, also mow in different directions so you don't stress the grass and this will keep your grass height at proper lengths, my grass has been mowed like this for years I have beautiful thick carpet like grass And don't leave in grass clippings unless you mulch them first, you need a mulching mower to do that, if you leave the grass clippings as they are you will sufficate the grass and cause it to die so don't do that.

Darrel we learned about the grass dying due to the long grass clipping the hard way. we now have patches of dead grass that look like smoldered grass :( very very sad. I'm going to lay fresh starter soil on these patches and new seeds there.

I had a small mowing business MANY YEARS ago and have used almost all types of mowers.

With a small lawn, if you want exercise there must be better ways to exercise than a push mower in summer heat. A reel type mower does not do well in tall grass so you need to mow often at least once a week and in fast growing season twice. A quality reel mower will cost as much or more than a power mower. Finding someone who can PROPERLY sharpen and adjust one is quite a project and that too is expensive. Also, a reel type mower cannot cut close to edges and fences etc. So you surely will need to trim.

For a small yard, an electric mower is a good choice. A cord can be a pain in the neck.

There are some good rechargeable ones. You need to remember to charge the battery and you will likely need to replace batteries every 3-4 years.

I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be long.