I guess it's a function of the poor economy (and I hope not the function of my lawn having looked neglected), but twice in two days I've been approached by people wanting to know if I'd hire them to do my lawn.

The first one would have been solved with a "No Solicitors" sign (which I really should get) - he knocked on my door. The second guy stopped his truck and walked up and asked me AS I WAS WORKING IN THE LAWN.

(yes, despite the fact that I'm still rashy, I figured the guy coming to my door the night before was a clear sign that I needed to do something, so I used my electric trimmer to edge and cut down all the cheatgrass that my little rotary mower wouldn't get rid of).

I don't know about anyone else, but I'd be really leery of hiring some random dude who just walked up off the street. I've heard far too many horror stories in my town of unreliable lawn guys - who don't show for three weeks but still expect to be paid - or even a few cases of employees of services that turned out to be criminals who cased the house while they were working on it and then broke in later on. (And as a lawn service would likely be working when I'm not home...)

Besides, I like doing my own yardwork, most of the time. Maybe I'm not quite as Janey-on-the-spot about getting it done every time as some people on my block are, but I'd hope they'd cut me a little slack as they know I live alone and work full time (the people with the "perfect" yards are either retired, or one spouse works out of the home and has a flexible schedule).

I don't know. This is one of those "nanny" issues that bugs me...people thinking they have a right to insist that their neighbors keep their lawns as "perfect" as they do. (I have one neighbor - not an "immediate" neighbor, but one down the street - that I've had "discussions" with in the past. My lawn is not HORRIBLE but neither is it as perfect as hers, and I am unwilling to spray many chemicals and hire many dudes just to make it like hers).  There are city laws on what your lawn can look like and mine never violates those. But because it's not golf-course-like, I sometimes wind up taking grief. I suppose that's my choice, in a way, and I have to put up with it, but I get so weary of people who think they can run my life better than I can.

(Sometimes I think if I were doing the homebuying thing all over again, I'd buy a large plot of land just inside city limits [so I'd still have city water and a reliable trash pick-up], build a house in the middle of it, and post it "No Trespassing" so I wouldn't have to explain to people that (a) I use a reel type mower so it doesn't always cut the things like cheatgrass flowering heads and (b) my life is really very busy right now and YES I am getting to the lawn but just not today.)