Fiona and Tom Ginnett are not afraid of a bit of hard graft. At their wedding, their friends gave speeches about how the world’s two hardest working people had found each other. And in the years since, Fiona, a former fashion designer, and Tom, a landscape architect, have more than lived up to their reputations.
They’ve had two daughters, Margot and Remi, founded Holte, a thriving kitchen design company, and moved into a house with a sprawling garden, in Catford, south-east London – a real fixer-upper, to say the least. Happy as they’ve been to put in the hours, there’s only so much time in a day, so extra help is always welcome. For the Ginnetts, it came in the form of a robotic lawnmower, the Honda Miimo, which they spent a week trying out on their new lawn. It proved to be as much of a grafter as the rest of the family.
Renovating the house and tackling the garden, described by Tom as “an overgrown wilderness”, was no easy task, and initially “gardening” was just about clearance and management. But once a lawn had been created, it was ready for Miimo’s magic touch – and the robot set to work trimming the grass, creating beautiful curves around trees and wild areas, and even dodging the somewhat unpredictable pomeranian, Marcel.
The robot’s effectiveness was something of a revelation, particularly for Fiona who admits to having been rather sceptical. “The Miimo is so surprising. It’s hypnotising and totally beguiling. You completely fall in love with it and it’s a funny joy to watch it pootle around.”
While their lawn was being kept in shape, Fiona and Tom used the extra time to catch up on work, play with their daughters, or enjoy an alfresco glass of wine.
Getting ready for Miimo was straightforward. The robot had to be charged in its docking point, and a boundary wire buried in the garden to help guide it. As all models in the new Miimo range come with Bluetooth connectivity, Tom downloaded the Mii-monitor app to his phone to control his. Then off Miimo went, leaving the family to sit back and watch someone else doing the hard work for a change.
“Now Miimo has taken over the lawn, we can focus on other aspects of gardening that we enjoy,” says Fiona, who found it a relief not to have to lug a traditional lawnmower around. “That might be building a bit of fence, planting, pruning – it’s creative and fun.”
Having a Miimo also means that owners don’t need to worry about returning from holidays to find their grass has had a growth spurt. The Miimo Live models include technology that lets people run them remotely. And no need to worry about picking up the clippings – Miimo automatically disperses them back into the lawn, another time-saver.
The Ginnetts both grew up in the countryside with plenty of outdoor space. “Watching your parents pushing a lawnmower used to feel like a sign of summer,” says Fiona. “But now, when I think of all the things taking up a parent’s time, surely mowing can come off the list. With the Miimo, I could take a moment on the app, then dedicate the time I’d have spent mowing to the children.”
The new Miimo range includes models for every type of garden – from a small plot in town to a spacious country spread. They can cope with inclines and offer various features, from sensors to help avoid obstacles to height adjustment. Some are Alexa compatible, so they respond to voice commands – start cutting, pause, return home. You can even check when the next run is scheduled.
Although Fiona and Tom lead busy lives, their design backgrounds mean they refuse to compromise on aesthetic or eco-friendly credentials. The idea of paving over part of the lawn or replacing it with artificial grass was an absolute no-no. “It’s so ugly and not environmentally friendly,” says Fiona. At the same time, they didn’t want their garden to be neglected because they were short of time, so having a robot mower made sense. They were even more taken because they could programme it to steer clear of wildlife areas, something Tom is passionate about. “My professional experience has informed the desire to let some things be natural and allow space for wilderness. There are various plants, traditionally considered weeds, that are good for the bees and butterflies.”
To help keep lawns in tip-top shape, Miimo uses real-time weather data to select the best times to mow – it’ll avoid cutting in heavy rain, and will cut less during long, dry spells. It’s also quiet so it won’t disturb you, your neighbours or the wildlife!
With Miimo’s help, the garden the Ginnetts have in mind, blending tended lawn with wild zones, is becoming a reality. For Fiona, as well as the joy of watching her robot pal “patrolling the grounds”, she loves that Miimo runs on electricity rather than petrol or diesel. “It’s the perfect eco solution.”
For this energetic couple, working up the momentum to start another task is never too difficult, but even they are taking great pleasure in having more time to enjoy the home and garden they’ve created. As Fiona puts it: “I smile every time I look across the garden and see Miimo out there grafting away.”
Find out more about how the latest Honda Miimo robotic lawnmowers could transform your lawn
