This Spring of 2023, the Nolan household, in the interest of the local insects, decided on a No Mow May policy for the Front Lawn. This experiment has produced some quite interesting results.
Many more wild flower varieties popped up than expected. These included: shining cranesbill, dandelion (in profusion but surprisingly few daisies), wild violet, pansy (probably reseeded from last year’s plant pots), lesser trefoil (suckling clover), creeping buttercup, chickweed, and white clover.
Cutting resumed post-May, though few mowings have been required because of spells of very dry weather. Most of the wild flowers quite quickly disappeared with the exception of the clover, now carpeting large expanses of the lawn area! So much so, that it may not be easy to get rid of. Maybe we won’t even try for a while as the bees are just loving all that clover. And there are other ecological benefits of this plant. For example, clover is capable of adding nitrogen to the soil, and is often mixed with lawn seed to reduce the need for fertilizer. It is also drought resistant, so survives without much watering. It can out-compete other plants, thus reducing the use of weed-killers. It can be foraged by both animals and humans.
Although mowing is now underway, we have left an inconspicuous strip of grass uncut under the side hedge. This has almost no flowers but the now tall grass is a haven for tiny moths – also useful pollinators.
Weighing up some advantages and disadvantages …….. is No Mow May 2024 on the cards for our Front Lawn? Possibly. Or perhaps we could even consider letting it become a Completely Clover Lawn. Then, apparently, it will: attract lots of insects, bees and butterflies, smell nice, feel good to walk on with bare feet, not be discoloured by dog wee, stay pretty green all year without much attention and remain short with very little mowing at all. It’s tempting.
Alan and Joyce Nolan
Last Updated on July 25, 2023