No Mow May?
It’s been called an “eco-fad,” and a Google search turns up countless sites encouraging people to let their lawns grow to protect pollinators. Amazon even has an “official” site enticing you to buy signs that explain to your tidy neighbors why your lawn is a bit unkempt.
Fad? Well, trend-setter that I am, and since I’ve always tried to be on the cutting (or no-cutting!) edge, I adopted the “No Mow May” mantra years ago.
The yellow dandelions and purple violets were SO pretty, I couldn’t bear to chop them off. And we were fascinated by the tiny bees that flitted among the flowers. Even the fluffy dandelion seed heads – besides adding a lacey beauty (?) to the lawn - are food for goldfinches, chipping sparrows, indigo buntings and other birds. (Fortunately, we have no close neighbors who might fret about our seeds blowing onto their lawns!)
Of course the decision often was made easier by the fact that my almost-antique power lawn mower seldom started easily after a winter’s neglect. Or that other duties – watching warblers, hunting mushrooms, photographing wildflowers – always topped the priority list.
This year, I didn’t quite make it through the whole month without mowing. But I restricted most of my lawn manicuring to around the garden, where I had to tame the tall grass to make a path for Margaret and me to access the potato plot and strawberry bed. And to keep the vegetation from shorting out the electric deer fence. (Please don’t bring up the incongruity of trying to attract certain insect wildlife, while repelling other critters, such as deer. It’s just that deer like to munch my berries and broccoli, while bees don’t steal MY food.)
Thus, as expected, we’ve enjoyed letting the insects enjoy our slightly-messy lawn. And it became even easier to NOT mow the mini-forest of pussytoes when I was reminded that these small, fuzzy white flowers are a host plant for American painted lady butterfly caterpillars
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Sadly, however, while I avoided disturbing the pussytoes, I still managed to disturb the tiny nest of a chipping sparrow. It’s not just insects that can benefit from leaving the lawn mower in the shed a little longer
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As a somewhat-retired journalist, I do need to include the disclaimer that there are some scientists who downplay the overall benefits of not mowing. They might point to a Lawrence University study supporting No Mow May that later was retracted. “After finding several potential inconsistencies in data handling and reporting, the authors and editorial team have agreed to retract this article with the opportunity for re-evaluation should the authors choose to submit a new version.”
If they do submit a new version, perhaps the researchers will include the psychological benefits of aromatic violets, bedazzling dandelions, and buzzing bees
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