Touch Grass – We Do!

Our Favorite Mood-Boosting Maintenance Moves


May 2026. By JT Wilkinson: While we don’t tend to touch turf grass (ewe! fertilizers! pesticides!), we do touch plenty of chemical-free IdealMow lawns and meadows – we can absolutely recommend it! Nature lifts moods so effectively, some doctors prescribe it. Believe it or not (we do!) biodiversity apparently boosts its efficacy.

Many of our day-to-day maintenance actions are mood-makers. Need a moment of bliss? Follow our no-pressure maintenance moves for your very own dose of delight.

Team Member: JT Wilkinson (yes, me first!)

Tip: Pretty much anything that connects to wildlife is going to delight me. It still thrills me to see a pack of Western Fence Lizards on the move or bee burrows in soil. When you notice how much life there is in a garden, it helps you slow down and really pay attention. It’s a way to get into the Zone.

Team Member: Isara Ongwiseth

Tip: Play in the dirt! There’s nothing like seeing a design come to life. I also enjoy getting out for a hike to see the hyper-local plants we might want to incorporate into local gardens. It means I’m always looking for a chance to be delighted. Also… touching a feathery-soft Yarrow lawn? Try it!

Team Member: Oscar Ortega

Tip: Life is short. Let’s take time to enjoy it right? It’s really satisfying to prune a plant to its ideal form, density, and mix of blooms and seeds. Its artwork – prune a bit, step back and see the result. There’s a real sense of accomplishment with each plant and then looking back at a full landscape too.

Team Member: Kirk Aoyagi

Tip: Rake the gravel. Then rake it again. Listen to the crush and sound of the tines. Music. Get it just right. Then, watch your kid and wife make first tracks without thinking twice. They’re giving you another chance to rake and get lost in the process of creating perfection.

Team Member: Cassy Aoyagi

Tip: Let nature ruin your best laid plans! The surprises make my mood. I struggled with a Bush Anemone in my own garden for years only to see it finally start blooming and expanding. I felt so accomplished! One of my favorite experiences is seeing plants that really wow us just curl up and die. Heartbreak right? Until they just show up wherever they want to be! Buckwheats are famous for that move. It’s completely delightful.

What’s your favorite delight-inducing garden experience? Let us know!

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