My friend Bob Brzuszek has done it! He has gotten the city of Starkville to not mow in March, to give pollinators a great start in early spring and highlight the diversity of native wildflowers that feed them. The city’s Go Wild initiative encourages homeowners to do the same and take the time to look for and learn about wildflowers and their pollinators (https://www.cityofstarkville.org/680/7316/Highlights).
Bob is Professor Emeritus of Mississippi State University’s Department of Landscape Architecture where he championed the use of native plants in our landscapes. And he still does! Bob and I share the minimalist approach toward managing our little slices of the world (our yards) by leaving spaces for wildflowers and other native species of plants that take little care but are critical to supporting pollinators of all kinds.
Many native plants serve as sources of nectar but also as host plants for the immature forms of pollinators – like the caterpillars of butterflies and moths. Many of us know about the value of milkweeds for Monarch Butterflies, for example, but there are hundreds of species of butterflies, skippers, and moths that depend on the “weeds” in our landscapes as host plants. The adult forms of these insects, along with native bees, wasps, beetles, and flies play important roles in pollinating these plants and supporting biodiversity.
I have written about the value of “no-mow” or “less mow” zones before (https://ourmshome.com/to-mow-or-not-to-mow/), focused on encouraging folks to leave a bit of your landscape go wild. And Starkville’s efforts do not stand alone, mirroring efforts in the U.K. and the U.S. that do the same (https://www.plantlife.org.uk/about-us/, https://beecityusa.org/no-mow-may/). But words are one thing, actions are another, and that is what my friend Bob has done. He has gotten his community to do what he does at home, but at scale!
As much as Bob and I can, and have talked, about how spring wildflowers provide important early sources of nectar for pollinators, there are other reasons to let your yard go wild. I for one am not a fan of mowing grass in the first place. I have also shared how I often got in trouble with my landlords for being tardy with mowing this time of year, and how my young children, at the time, helped save the day. “Easter is not yet here”, I would say. “I need tall grass and flowers to hide their Easter Eggs.” It worked! Now, if I had a grass yard, it would still work for my grands, but I am the owner, so there! As for leaving the leaves, check out this story (https://www.ourmshome.com/critters-in-the-leaves/).
But what if we let a bit of our public spaces stay wild throughout the year. I have been able to get partly there with a nature-based park in Moss Point, by limiting mowing of portions of the park to once a month. This allows wildflowers to bloom and produce seeds that support the biodiversity we are promoting but also reduces maintenance costs associated with mowing. I had tried to limit mowing to every other month, but alas, the fear of snakes in the grass is still an issue with many. We need to work on that one as well.
In any case, we can all celebrate what my friend Bob and the city of Starkville are doing by not mowing in March this year. We too may be able to persuade our community leaders to do the same at a local park. Come on! If Starkville can do it, so can we! Thanks Bob!
Hope to see you in our great outdoors!