A New York Times article today vindicated my lifetime of procrastination and laziness; turns out my vices were an early and persistent indication of my green ethic. You should adopt these not so bad if directed at lawncare habits—at least for the month of May.

I refer to the absolutely delightful article, “In Wisconsin: Stowing Mowers, Pleasing Bees,” based on reporting in Wisconsin (hooray for us) about No Mow May. This movement calls on folks to stop mowing their lawns through the entire month of May, and to welcome the dandelions and Creeping Charley that should flourish. These until-now disrespected weeds are crucial to the survival of urban bees, including many native species as well as honeybees. The data is astounding and convincing about the higher number of bees that survive in yards, neighborhoods, and cities where No Mow May is observed. These flowers—I think they've earned that title—play this role because they sprout and bloom so early. A walk through my yard shows the Creeping Charley is making its appearance. I wouldn't be surprised if other bugs liked these plants and that would be good for birds.

While these species are exotic and invasive, in my experience they do not outcompete the wide variety of native plants I have in the yard nor do they bother my beloved bulbs. If one's idea of a perfect lawn is nothing but grass they're a bit of a blight, but many grasses also hold their own with the Big, Early, Bee-Nurturing Duo.

I've unwittingly practiced No Mow May for years. It's May before I can even find the lawnmower in the garage and the gas I usually have left in it means it has to go to the shop for a tune up. That takes weeks.

Not sure what the neighbors think about all this but some are distracted by those bulbs and a few comment on the many bees they see in the yard, especially when the apricot blooms.

No Mow Monday has been formally endorsed by some groups and several Wisconsin cities. The NYT article reports that lots of folks seem to be enjoying the late start to mowing and the appearance of abundant bees in their yards. The only surprise in all of this is that, to the best of my knowledge, Madison has not adopted this. It seems right up our alley.

So, give yourself and the bees a break this May. Don't mow that lawn.

Take care,

Topf Wells, Madison Audubon advocacy committee

Cover photo by Joshua Mayer