Grass in the Garden

Something new is afoot  ( or under foot to be precise) in the garden this summer ! Longfellow garden has gone Au natural.  Part of the evolving attitude about our home environments is considering the role of perfectly manicured lawns. Let’s face it, lawns are a hassle to maintain, especially if you aspire to a picture-perfect green carpet.  At the Longfellow garden with it’s sandy soil and blistering sun… beautiful lush grass has never had much of a chance. 

     But what is the alternative ? The habitat provided by a wilder, in fact wildflower laced lawn can provide a valuable wildlife habitat, especially for bees and butterflies. In short not cutting the grass this year left the grass taller, full of wildflowers, and even more beneficial to wildlife. The number of honey bees and other insects working hard in the garden over the summer seemed to increase as the clover and Queen Anne’s Lace were plentiful. As the sunflowers begin to bloom it's become a pollen party every day. The mower, sidelined until late August, will rev-up in advance of students return. 

Some of the advantages of  our “wilder” lawns are:

 They support a wider range of beneficial insects than conventionally managed lawns and gardens.

 These insects provide food for birds, and pond life. 

 Ladybugs and other predators insects spread out from the wild flower area to eat greenfly in the rest of the    garden, reducing the need for artificial pest control.

 The wildflowers provide a beautiful landscape throughout the summer

 They don’t require watering

 They don’t need the use of gas powered mowing

Next year we’ll look for some native ground covers to try to supplement the natural wildflowers. In addition we hope to work with our neighbors The Honey Exchange  http://thehoneyexchange.com as we try to become a registered honeybee habitat and to create an even more inviting environment for honeybees in the Longfellow garden and Deering neighborhood.