Cordless mowers for happy gardeners

In keeping with tradition, April has arrived, bringing with it lashings of rain which seems ironic under the current environmental conditions of drought. With a hosepipe ban in place and the promise of a scorching summer ahead, I was anticipating a lack of grass mowing over the next months as beautifully green meadows turned to dusty barren tundra. Without being able to use a hose, my client’s would have to cope with fields of brown instead of green. Though, with Wimbledon, The Diamond Jubilee and The London Olympics all occurring this year, I should’ve realised that this summer will probably be the wettest we’ve had in years.

When I first unpacked the Bosch 34 Li Ergoflex, it has to be said, I wasn’t that convinced. It looked rather flimsy, and though it went together fairly easily, that in itself instilled a sense of trepidation. Surely, click, snap, bolt into place, means only one thing; whir, grind, puff of smoke, break. It’s a lawnmower, I wasn’t too sure how much I’d be thrilled by this device, even though it was cordless. And, my first impressions weren’t great. So, I set this thin and fragile looking device a challenge; conquer the allotment. A world away from a beautifully flat lawn. Here was an undulating, tussock-filled, unkempt wasteland to navigate through – take that on and do your best.

As Ron Weasley would put it, this lawnmower is actually bloody brilliant. Its blade is quick, and it whirs into life in just seconds. Did it navigate the dent festooned plains of the allotment? Yes. Did it actually cut well? Yes. Did it do its job in about a fifth of the time that cutting the allotment grass normally takes? Well, once again, yes. I’m actually amazed how good this lawnmower is, and as soon as I got home I rushed out into the garden to try it on my godmothers back lawn. Would it, and this was pushing it, stripe the garden just as my godmother’s partner likes? It only blimmin did!

It takes a lot to get me going on about garden equipment. I’m a plantsman and a wildlife geek, indulging in crisp foliage, tender petals and vivid scurrying beasts. I’m not really one for machinery, even if it helps immensely with the gardening task in hand. But, Bosch’s Ergoflex really did it for me.

Not only does it leave a great cut and deal with far more than the perfectly flat English garden you’d think it would handle, but it’s battery driven so you can take it anywhere. The battery lasted the entire time I used it (which was about 45 minutes), and the speed at which it cuts counters the negative that you have a limited energy supply. It’s easy to put together, easy to charge the battery, and easy to use. And, then it gives you an amazing cut too. Definitely one for any gardener’s shed.