This photo is courtesy of my friend Dave Gallaher, who writes: “You may recall my telling of trying to keep my back yard in ‘meadow status’ as long as allowed. Here it is today, almost the end of April. Nothing exceptional, but a source of joy for me.”
What a soft, soothing green landscape! And the fact is, in many places such yards have become exceptional, as the social norm of relentless mowing extends to every corner of the land.
(Today I actually saw an advertisement for a mower that operates automatically — like one of those house-vacuuming robots, but for the yard. It sells for $1,500 and can be operated by remote control from a smartphone. Ye gods.)
When I walk into a shaded patch of meadow, even a small one, I feel myself relax and breathe more deeply. And of course, many nonhuman creatures are benefiting too.
Further Reading:
Micro-Meadow: Using Small Spaces for Big Impact: “By creating a ‘micro-meadow’ in these spaces, we have the combined benefit of beautiful aesthetics and diversity of habitat. Whether the space is dry or wet, there are meadow plants uniquely suited to fill these spaces. Through many years of experience and study, we’ve found a combination of clumping and spreading native grasses, with a selection of colorful native perennials can achieve a beautiful and functional micro-habitat.”
Micro-prairies: No yard is too small to go with earth-friendly native plants (Pinterest page – lots of photos)
National Wildlife Federation: Turn Your Yard into a Certified Wildlife Habitat: It’s not as hard as you might think; even a container garden on a balcony can qualify.