[Zippy]

Hello. I have a small amount of grass on my plot, around the pond near the shed and some paths around the beds. Not enough grass to warrant a lawn mower or petrol strimmer.

I would like to keep them trimmed but wonder how best to do this - cordless strimmer? Shears?

Are cordless strimmers as powerful as mains driven? Is there a quick sure way of keeping a pair of shears sharp enough for the job as they always seem to blunt quickly on grass.

Using a strimmer I would be worried about catching the frog  we have in the pond with it and he is doing a great job eating my slugs - don't want to risk killing him.

[Muddylou]

I have a cordless strimmer, one charge is enough to deal with the paths in and around my plot (just as well as none of my neighbours seem to bother about the communal walkways). It's an 18 volt one (if I remember correctly) and cost around £40 from Homebase. Don't know about the frog, but I'd have thought it would go for a swim with the noise and vibration.

[Zippy]

Yes I've seen these on eBay but wondered how powerful they would be. Might give one a go, thanks.

[Paul Plots]

You can get long-handle shears for trimming small areas of grass - they are a bit like edging shears but the blades are set to cut horizontally - this may be the tool you need...

In the good old / bad old days a stick with a crook in it and a scythe or a fag-hook was the answer but you had to mind you legs and expect an aching back the following day. 

[Zippy]

Learner - that's the way I would really like to do it, but its keeping the blessed things sharp enough! They seem to blunt so quickly.

[Paul Plots]

I imagine you can still buy sharpening stones... things looking a bit like a cross between a small / short french-stick loaf and a fat grey cigar.

I have a sharpening stone and it is great for keeping knives and other cutting blades in good order taking very little time to maintain a perfect edge.

Although I rarely use it I have a fag-hook in the shed too... my father used it to cut the plot paths years ago... once you get the swing of it the goings quite speedy.