It's June and your grass is growing fast — just not nearly as fast as your landscaping bill.
Driving the news: Lawn-mowing services cost an average 22.4% more this year, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing home-services company Angi.
It's the latest chapter in the inflation story — summer edition — featuring all the usual characters.
Soaring gas prices, escalating labor costs and equipment shortages.
On one side are landscaping business owners, where cost inputs are squeezing margins.
On the other is anyone responsible for a patch of grass, where skyrocketing prices are forcing them to think about firing up that old mower themselves.
Of note: Both Home Depot and Lowe's said consumers were spending more on lawn equipment.
Many have been trading up to pricier battery-powered mowers, popular for saving on gas and helping the environment — not to mention the increasing crackdowns by local governments on gas-powered machines.
The bottom line: All of this is bad news for landscapers and homeowners. But it's good news for companies like John Deere, Honda and The Toro Company.
