How to Checkerboard Your Lawn

A checkerboard pattern on your lawn will help it stand out from the rest of the neighborhood. While a checkerboard pattern looks fancy, as if it took a lot of time and effort, you can simply achieve the look by mowing the grass in different directions and in a certain way. All the grass blades are the same height, but because some of them bend one way, while the rest bend another, the light gives them lighter and darker appearances.

Lawn mower

Instructions

- 1
  Mow the entire perimeter of the lawn in one direction, starting and ending at the top, right-hand corner of the property.
- 2
  Position the lawn mower so it's ready to mow the next strip. This will be the first section of grass down (in) from the top perimeter. Mow from the right end to the left end. Slightly overlap the strip of grass you just mowed and every succeeding strip.
- 3
  Run the lawnmower past the end of the strip you just mowed and into the perimeter strip. Carefully turn the mower to avoid damage to the lawn. Line the mower up to start cutting the next strip of grass in reverse direction from the previous strip. Start at the far left end of the next row.
- 4
  Mow the remainder of the lawn in this east-to-west and west-to-east pattern to achieve half of a checkerboard pattern.
- 5
  Start at the lower left-hand corner of the property to complete the checkerboard look in your lawn. Line the lawn mower up so you'll now cut the first south-to-north strip in from the perimeter. When the strip is complete, carefully turn the lawn mower around in the perimeter.
- 6
  Line the mower up to cut the next strip beside the one you just finished. Mow from north-to- south this time.
- 7
  Mow the remainder of the lawn in south-to-north and north-to-south strips.
- 8
  Finish the checkerboard pattern in your yard. Start at the top, right-hand corner and mow over the perimeter again to clean it up.

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