No haymow may , a movement that started in 2019 in the U.K. , has challenged how we conceive about lawn . For at least one calendar month of the class , we are encouraged to view the green carpet that supports our outdoor activities as an ecological powerhouse that can feed and support wildlife , sequester carbon , keep grunge in topographic point , meliorate aura quality , and still provide us with a welcoming berth to act and unbend .
| Facts and Figures |
The American lawn , by the stats
Since the thirties , government - insured mortgages have made the dreaming of homeownership come-at-able for millions of Americans . For most , the dreaming has come complete with a lawn that signals upper class . Today , lawns have become the largest single craw cultivated in the United States .
As a public - awareness campaign , No Mow May has had some positively charged effects . For example , it has been quite successful in helping mass to see their lawn as extensions of their garden . If we are making witting choice in our gardens to support pollinators and wildlife , why should that intention stop at the edge of the lawn ? And in a limited good sense , not mop a special patch of turf in May and allowing more flowers to develop will assist pollinators temporarily . But one month is a fraction of the growing season , no matter where you live .
Viewed through this lens , No Mow May is performative at best . If you continue to geld your green goddess short during the rest of the produce time of year , the welfare for insects is relatively tiny . And as any nurseryman surely know , simply refraining from mowing for a calendar month will not result in a picturesque meadow full of wildflowers .
The concluding straw is that cutting grass hard after allowing it to grow long is trying for the plants . Your lawn may not face effective for quite some sentence after that first big cutback , and the pasturage will require extra water and care to recover .
cut down less is not a bad idea
A manicured lawn has traditionally been seen as a sign that the homeowner is a responsible someone who contributes to and value their locality . Lawn care creates many job , and real estate trends indicate that a dwelling with a neatly maintained landscape will sell for more . These are all sound intellect to invest in your lawn and garden .
However , lawn consume an inordinate amount of water supply , fertiliser , pesticides , fuel , and time ( see “ The American Lawn , by the Stats ” , above ) . And while many residential area strive for each household to keep the same standard of care , a paradox exists in this notion of uniformity . While one neighbour may evaluate you for tolerating the blowball that unloose seed onto their lawn , the same person may think nothing of the excess fertiliser or pesticide that leave their belongings and record the pee table or a local waterway . And what about the auditory assault that neighbors are exposed to by lawn mowers and leaf blowers ?
Whether we like it or not , lawns are part of the American landscape painting , but perhaps we can collectively opine a time to come where pridefulness in the menage landscape is uncouple from the judgment of others . One valuable takeaway from No Mow May is that deoxidize human interference can help a lawn to become a healthier , more productive ecosystem . Being a good neighbour and a admirer of environmental science need not conflict with one another . By certify maintenance practice session that support wildlife and still keep the HOA happy , everyday gardeners can take lead roles advance environmental stewardship in their communities and neighbourhood .
Ulrich Lorimer is the director of horticulture at the Native Plant Trust in Framingham , Massachusetts .
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Plant spring-flowering shrubs and perennials for pollinators that emerge early. Instead of relying on the flowering plants that happen to spring up in unmowed turfgrass, consider intentionally increasing the number of early bloomers in your existing beds and borders.
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Plant spring-flowering shrubs and perennials for pollinators that emerge early. Instead of relying on the flowering plants that happen to spring up in unmowed turfgrass, consider intentionally increasing the number of early bloomers in your existing beds and borders.
Make sure the parts of your landscape that are not lawn are pulling their weight. Planning a succession of blooms that continues from early spring until frost is the best way to encourage pollinators to live and work in your garden in every season.
