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No Mow May! How About June?
What grows in your yard when you don't mow in May?
No Mow May is a new campaign to raise awareness about the biodiversity of life that can live in your own backyard. It is a simple concept, just don't mow for the entire month of May. You will be amazed at the diversity of vegetation, and wildlife that inhabit your humble yard.
Ellie Reese, Woodstock Land Conservancy's Program & Outreach Coordinator participated in No Mow May at her new home in Shokan with amazing results! Ellie did not refrain from mowing her entire yard choosing instead to mow a few paths and a small play area for her children, leaving the majority of her lawn unmowed. The previous owners had kept an impeccably neat one-acre lawn for 40 plus years, so Ellie was not confident much life would immerge during a one month break in mowing, but she was dead wrong! First, a wide variety of plants started to grow that she had never seen before, then the bees & insects came, and shortly after the insects a variety of birds began to visit. It was a wonderful month of exploration and discovery that her entire family enjoyed.
Based on the diversity of flora and fauna that emerged due to No Mow May, Ellie has designated 3 large patches of her yard that she will continue to leave unmowed through the summer months. These unmowed areas contain native pollinator-friendly plants, and since she does not use pesticides of any kind on her property she qualifies to join the Pollinator Pathway!
Enjoy photos of a selection of the variety of plants that emerged in Ellie's yard during the month of May, some are native, some are non-native, and some are invasive.
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