What is no Mow May? 

Try a respite from lawn maintenance, and see how it feels. Do Less!  

If you have a turf lawn, pause your mowing in May. See if you get pollinator visitors and native sparrows in your grass. Reconsider your turf, and whether you can diversity your yard. Above all, our gardens should give us joy.

Want a Yard sign to explain your yard and spread the word?

Sign up here and donate for a sign.

Why care? 

In the long run, mowing less saves on energy, water, expense and chemicals.  The best solution, reducing lawn with native trees, shrubs and wildflowers, also benefits biodiversity. Songbird populations have dropped by about 1/3 since 1970, and various species of bees and butterflies have declined as much as 80-90%. Many communities have embraced the No Mow May idea. Studies are just getting going on its impact on insect and migratory birds.

I don't like the look of No Mow May lawns.

Love or Hate No Mow May, it encourages us to rethink the culture of lawns. What are we doing with lawns?  Why? Is there a better way? All good questions. If your neighbor's lawn bothers you, start a conversation. No Mow May may be as much a social human experiment as it is a biodiversity effort.

Is this something we should do every year?  

Absolutely! This is a pilot effort to try it out.

Are there ways to avoid mowing all year long?  

Definitely. 

• Shrink your Lawn.  Plant a tree or shrub/s and surround them with mulch to reduce your lawn.  Or replace turf with a wildflower garden.  ‍

• Use short turf alternatives.  Seed your lawn with short native grass that doesn’t need mowing, like buffalo grass, or the non-native no mow mixes from greenedens.com, prairiemoon.com or prairienursery.com.
• ‍Mow less often.  Letting your grass grow a little bit taller can send its roots deeper and allow it to better withstand dry spells. Let low growing violets and clover bloom and feed pollinators. ‍

What if it stresses me out?  ‍

No Mow is voluntary. Our yards should bring us joy. If No Mow May is adding stress, mow. Life is too short. You tried it out.  Good on you!

If you want to keep an area of your yard turfgrass, and not transition to native or no-mow options, you can mow less often and at a higher mower height. Embrace no-mow for the other parts of your yard that incorporate native plants.

‍What about my neighbors?  

An optional yard sign can help explain why your lawn is so lush :)  If you use Facebook, let us know any comments you receive good or bad at https://www.facebook.com/groups/naturalhabitatevanston/. ‍

What about City ordinances?  

In 2023, the City started enforcing its mowing ordinance May 15. We do not know if that rule will continue to apply. We also do not know if turf grass heights will reach 8” and trigger our weed ordinance if they are unmowed through May; that will also depend on rains. If you do get ticketed in late May, you can mow immediately or see if there is a grace period to mow before the end of May.‍

What about dandelions?  

Natural Habitat would recommend to anyone participating that they pull seedheads of non-native invasives, including dandelion, to reduce spread. (Even though dandelion are nonnative, they are a major source of early spring nectar in our degraded, lawn-dominant landscapes.)