Microprairie

“The more you grow, the less you mow.” I love this! My neighbors sometimes don’t, especially during No Mow May. In this month, I do my best to avoid mowing the lawn to help support local pollinators. My yard looks like a dandelion farm and I get occasional glares from my neighbors who prefer a lawn service and pristine manicuring of their grass.

However, with each year, we’ve added patches of native plantings, known as a microprairie. Besides adding splashes of color, these native planting attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. In fact, out newest microprairie section is filled with butterfly-specific plants to help us with one of our favorite activities: raising monarch caterpillars.

Now, with our family moving, we hope the new owners enjoy and maintain our newest yard additions. And maybe, just maybe, they and others will add more to their yards. The more you grow, the less you mow.