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The best reel mowers for the cleanest cuts

With these tools, you don’t have to think of mowing your lawn as a noisy, difficult process that you’d rather outsource. Our selection offers mowers that deliver clean cuts without bothering the whole neighborhood or polluting the air.

Mowing your lawn shouldn’t be an arduous task with complex equipment. These products combine multiple capabilities into one, such as blades designed for grass, and have features like cushioned grips for comfortable use. Gas-less options leave little oil residue and fuel odor, helping you get the job done while remaining eco-conscious.

Greenworks Reel Lawn Mower with 7 AMP blower

Best Combo with Leaf Catcher and Blower

This reel lawn mower offers a 2-in-1 mulching and rear bag container to save you from scrambling for loose debris. The 16-inch cutting path helps you get the job done quickly and efficiently, with steel helical blades built to cut flawlessly and silently. This mower has a four-position height adjustment feature that can cut a range of all grass types from 1 1/8-inch to 2 1/4-inch cutting heights. It's built to easily maneuver across your lawn with 10-inch front wheels and 2-inch rear rollers. Also, don't worry about irritating your next-door neighbors. This reel lawn mower produces zero fumes, requires no gas and is quiet to help you tend to your yard at any time of day.

Great States Push Reel Lawn Mower

Best Value

This self-propelled push reel lawn mower helps you control how you manage your lawn. Its 5-blade manual push reel lawn mower features an 18-inch cutting width, 5-blade ball bearing reel, and 10-inch composite wheels. The motor is motorless and gasless, serving as a green-friendly solution. The blades can be adjusted quickly and easily to evenly cut grass of all heights, from 0.5 inches to 2.75 inches. The blades are made of quality heat-treated alloy steel for lasting sharpness. The handle has a cushioned grip and lightweight design for comfort as you mow for long periods. The mower is easy to assemble and requires no tools.

Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mower

Best Lifespan

Mowing the lawn shouldn't have to be an agonizing, expensive process. The Staysharp Max has been proven to be 60 percent easier to push than other reel mowers. Its chain-driven design is built for reel speed with heavier, no contact blades that cut without friction. Its IntertiaDrive technology features a large-diameter cutting reel and thicker blades for greater cutting power. This helps you power through tougher spots and cover more mowing ground.

The StaySharp Max is designed to cut all grass types from 1/4th of an inch on. It requires no gas or electricity, allowing you to mow your lawn silently while remaining eco-conscious.

Scotts Outdoor Power Tools Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower

Cleanest Cut

The Scotts Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower is a no-motor manual reel rotary lawnmower with a 20-inch cutting width. It includes a 5-blade ball bearing reel and 10-inch dual tracking wheels. It helps you get an exact cut every time with its 1-inch to 3-inch cutting height adjustment, with blades made of quality heat-treated alloy steel for enduring sharpness. Its cushioned-grip handle is built for ergonomic support and comfort over long periods, and it requires no gas or oil, delivering precise cuts without polluting the environment. It's made for easy, tool-less assembly.

You won’t have to dread mowing the lawn with this selection. These reel lawn mowers deliver precise cuts to grass of all lengths. They are built for easy assemblage and comfortable use to help you maintain a property that makes you proud. Watch out: media outlets like Better Homes and Gardens may come calling!

If your yard gets a lot of afternoon light, these are the afternoon sun plants for you
How to choose and grow plants that will thrive with afternoon sun
Sunlit garden path and flowers

There are many challenges regarding the sun when it comes to gardening. There's too much, then there's too little. For example, some fruit trees thrive in shady backyards — except most trees do require full sunlight. This is why pruning is necessary. And then there are those conditions where too much sun can affect our plants.

Afternoon sun is challenging. Direct sunlight between midday and sunset is the most intense exposure. Although some plants are labeled for "full sun," extended exposure in that hot afternoon sun may be too much — not all these are suitable as afternoon sun plants. This is especially so if the sunlight is further intensified by a wall or fence that traps and reflects the sun’s heat during the day, then continues to radiate heat after sundown. These tough areas require tough plants.

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Add heliotrope to your garden for stunning purple flowers all summer long
If you love the color purple for your garden, these flowers are the perfect addition
A heliotrope plant growing in a garden

A spring flower garden bursting with colorful flowers and delightful smells is the dream for many gardeners, but so many flowers fade before summer even begins. If you want a flower with long-lasting blooms and an incredible smell, then heliotrope might just be the right choice for you. Heliotrope flowers are beautiful and easy to care for, so why not add them to your spring and summer flower gardens? Here is everything you need to know about planting and caring for heliotrope flowers.
What is heliotrope?

Heliotrope is an herb in the borage family. While it has relatives native to many different places, the most common garden variety, Heliotropium arborescens, is native to South America. It can grow as a perennial in warmer climates, but in the U.S., it typically grows as an annual. The flowers of this plant are a vibrant purple and they can be seen throughout spring and summer, with some cultivars even blooming into fall.

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Water lily vs. lotus: What’s the difference and which is right for you?
Here’s what you need to know about these unique flowers
Lotus flowers in a lake

Water features are a beautiful way to make your yard or garden feel more serene. They can also provide a water source for local wildlife, including migrating birds in search of a drink. Ponds can also be a unique type of garden, and there are many wonderful water plants you can grow in your pond to support birds, frogs, and fish or just to look nice. Two of the most common pond plants are water lilies and lotuses. However, these plants are also frequently mistaken for each other.

In this guide to the water lily vs. lotus, we’ll explain the similarities and differences between these plants so you can choose the best one for your pond.
Why are water lilies and lotuses easy to confuse?

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