To the Editor:

In light of code enforcement’s insistence that residents mow their laws, I want to encourage an alternative: Let your grass die and weaken so that it may be replaced with native plants and ground cover that are beneficial to the environment. 

No Mow May has many faults, but one of the biggest ones is that at the end of the month you go right back to a plain grass lawn. The ecological benefits grass at any height are limited by the lack of diversity- different pollinators and insects have preferences or even requirements for different options. 

For code enforcement’s end of things- many ground cover replacements are far below the nuisance height concerns and others pass as garden spaces.

I know, I sound nuts, but the benefits are worth it. Plants will stay green without watering- most grass is an invasive species that consumes immense amounts of water. Mowing grass takes tons of time, fuel, and emits pollution in the air. No need for fertilizers that run off into local waterways. 

And your yard will teem with life- every day I see butterflies, bees, lightning bugs, and all manner of weird insects that now call it home. Flat green has been replaced by wave after wave of flowers- Purple violets at the start, pink phlox and blue forget-me-nots, white and purple aster, and yellow goldenrods.

So what I’m suggesting is…let it go. For the more hands-on types, look up sheet mulching and start native gardens for yourselves.  For everyone else, first take note of the grass space you’re actually using and keep mowing it. But everything else- let it go. Use a weed whacker to keep your grass short enough to not run afoul of code enforcement, lopping off the seeding parts. Drain it of its energy. And, importantly, take advantage of what is already there. Leave the weird stuff to grow and bloom, and an app like PictureThis to help identify invasives that should be pulled. 

Many native plants are erroneously labeled as weeds, but they are essential to the balance of life and they are quite beautiful and beneficial to properties when they mature. In the Fall, spread your leaves so other things can take root. It’s free fertilizer and many bugs pupate and lay eggs, including the ones that prey on “bad” bugs. Stop working so hard on your yard- let mother nature take over.

Matthew Manierre

Potsdam