Prayer
The Garden is Rich
The garden is rich with diversity, with plants of a hundred families. In the space between the trees, with all the colors and fragrances.
Basil, mint and lavender, Great Mystery keep my remembrance pure,
Raspberry, Apple, Rose, Great Mystery fill my heart with love,
Dill, anise, tansy, Holy winds blow in me.
Rhododendron, zinnia, May my prayer be beautiful.
May my remembrance, O Great Mystery, be as incense to thee in the sacred grove of eternity, As I remember the ancient forests of earth.
- Chinook Psalter
Source: Jesuit Resource
Knowledge
Have you heard of the No-Mow Movement? Most homeowners across America work hard to make their yard beautiful and weed free. Turf grass is a hallmark of a well-kept yard. The concept is even used as the base of jokes in television shows and such: the pride a person takes in the lawn is a reflection of character.
Did you know that the beautiful lawns all around you are harming the environment? Between the water required to keep them green, the chemicals required to keep them weed free and the gas required to keep them mowed, a green lawn is costing us much more than money. The pollution of lawn mowers is often underestimated. Also, those beautiful lawns provide no habitat for wildlife—birds, butterflies and all those good pollinators we have talked about.
The No-Mow Movement has been rising in popularity. Lawns are being seeded with low growing grasses and other natural and native plants that are left to grow with little intervention. These plants require less water, little to no chemicals and the lawn mower can be parked in the garage or shed. The best part, according to one member of my household, is that teenagers across the country will get to sleep late on Saturday mornings all summer.
There are companies that will advise homeowners on how to plant these lawns and even install the correct plants. Even a partial yard replacement goes a long way to helping reduce the effect of turf grass.
Positive impact on the environment and less work overall? Seems like a win-win situation.
Action
Princeton University Student Climate Initiative published this study on the effects of turf grass on the environment from Princeton University.
Find out more about natural lawns from the Natural Resources Defense Council here.
The Toledo Library has posted alternative natural yard plants for Ohio here. Similar lists exist for most climates in the U.S.
You can also seed a lawn with slow-growing grasses, which would still require mowing but less often. Earthwise Seed Company, American Meadows, and OPN Seed are three sources of a wide variety of low-mow and no-mow seed mixes and wildflower mixes.
If you are unsure if you can turn your entire yard over to the no-mow movement, start with a portion of the yard. Plant a mix of low-growing grasses and flowering clover. You may find you like it.