Less mowing, more pollinators…that is Glenn’s mantra. As much as he says that, you would think that he was the one who took care of our mowing and was coming up with a strategy to lighten that chore, but, nope, I am the one who mows the yard.
During our recent travels, he did enjoy pointing out examples of his “no mow” philosophy. The Bee and Butterfly Garden in Portland, Maine was a great example of both a beautiful and useful habitat. We also paid attention to how states were choosing to maintain their roadsides. The case has been made that roadsides could provide a valuable pollinator habitat. This article from Xerces Society makes the case in Pollinator Conservation at 60 MPH. Then, if you are so inspired, the Xerces Society has even created a good sample letter to send your state representative and/or your state DOT to let them know you are supportive of these roadside efforts.
There is also value in re-envisioning our yards: meadow gardens, cottage gardens, butterfly gardens…there are many options to consider beyond the traditional mown lawn. When we lived in the city, my goal had been to eventually get the mown lawn area down to size that was manageable with only a human powered lawn mower. Now that is an interesting google search: human powered lawn mower. Have fun with that!
When we moved to the farm, however, our mown lawn size increased to the point of needing a riding lawn mower. Yes, we thought about goats, and then thought better! There may be a meadow garden in the future for our lawn, but for now, I will at least mow on the high setting as to leave the clover blooms for the bees to enjoy.
