Happy Tuesday!
Most of my time right now is spent working in the garden. It feels good but it also feels good to have a break this week while we deal with cooler temps and frequent rain storms. My knees thank Mother Nature for the break.
Nann and I have been having an comment/email conversation about bee support. Last year my friend in Maine told me about a "No mow May" program that was popular in her state. In sum, participants refrain from mowing (or mow less) during the month of May to help pollinators like bees. From what I've read, the initial program was begun in the United Kingdom and spread to many areas of the United States now.
Nann sent me this link to an article of the program around Chicago. Another good resource is here and is a non-profit to support bees.
Early honey bee quilt, the quilt was originally made in the mid 19th century.
I've never really understood what some might refer to as an obsession with grass and lawn care. But in my city, weeds or long grass are illegal. In fact homeowners can be fined for the "nuisance" of the overgrown lawn. This is ironic considering that the city parks are unsightly with deep strips of weeds along the creeks and waterways.
I'm wondering if were you live has a policy to protect the bees and the environment. If so, could you email or comment?
Tomorrow I'll talk about my alternative in my garden.
Have a safe and happy day!
We are asked not to use fertilizer on our lawns because of run off into the Delaware River. Yet, go to the township community center and there is a sign in the beautiful, perfect, luxurious grass stating that the area is maintained by Lawn Doctor. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteWe have no restrictions that I know of in our little town, but here in Texas the highways and other wildflower areas are not mowed until the Texas wildflowers have died back and seeded.
ReplyDeleteWe have bees around a vitex tree in our back yard, and they sometimes get in our crape myrtles, but we don't see many around here. I would welcome them.
I love my husband dearly, but we have an argument yearly about spraying for wasps and weeds. I tell him I'd rather try other means, but he is a spray guy and always has been - maybe that's why we don't see many bees.
I have my little organic garden areas, and I "catch and release" spiders and wasps and other bugs daily, rather than use bug spray. I haven't overcome my dislike of fire ants though, and there is really nothing we seem to do that does anything but make them move to another place.
I am just thrilled milkweed has come of the nuisance list in my state and we can hope for more butterflies...I am in a rural area and it amazes me how many farmers MOW (not just wack down) along the road ways...what a waste!
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