Why I Love the Scythe in the Garden (And Always Have)

There’s no real logic to it, not that I can explain, anyway. I’ve always been drawn to the scythe.

Before I ever swung one, before I even had much of a garden to speak of, something about that long, curved blade and the old wooden handle just felt right. It wasn’t nostalgia — I didn’t grow up using one — but something deeper. Like it was a tool I was meant to know.

And once I finally put it to use, I understood.

The scythe is beautifully simple. No gas. No wires. No plastic guards or batteries to charge. It’s just you, the handle, the blade, and the rhythm. The sound it makes as it sweeps through grass or tall weeds is almost meditative. It’s not the harsh whir of a string trimmer or the buzz of a mower — it’s soft, crisp, clean.

When I’m in the garden, clearing space for new rows or taming the edges that grow wild too fast, the scythe does it all. It’s light in the hands, sharp as you keep it, and far more efficient than most folks think. I can cut a surprising amount of ground in less time than it would take to wrestle with an electric trimmer — and with a whole lot less noise and frustration.

But it’s not just about efficiency.

There’s a satisfaction in using a scythe that modern tools can’t touch. It’s not about speed. It’s about connection. I feel the slope of the land under my feet. I notice how the grass leans with the wind. I work with the terrain, not against it.

It’s also good work. Honest work. It uses your body in a balanced way. Your arms and back move together. Your core stays engaged. It’s not like pushing a machine; it’s more like dancing. Slow, deliberate, effective.

I never set out to love the scythe. It’s just always felt natural to me — the kind of tool that doesn’t need explaining. You just pick it up, and before long, you realize it belongs.

So while most gardeners are grabbing leaf blowers or weed whackers, I’ll be off to the shed, pulling out my old scythe. Not because it’s flashy or fast, but because it works — and because, for reasons I can’t fully explain, I’ve always known it would.