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No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

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Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#101

Post by helen___keller »

guepe wrote: post #9
kelnos wrote: post #5

> residents of Appleton, Wisconsin [...] convinced their City Council to suspend their weed ordinance for the month of May. This reminds me that there are many municipalities and homeowners' associations that essentially require you to mow your lawn weekly or bi-weekly, lest your grass gets too long and they fine you, because... reasons. It's really gross that we allow people to be such busybodies.

There is a strong advantage to regular mowing in my area (new england): way less risk of ticks. It's a real problem a'd with kids that spends time outside, ticks can be real scary. I got a few bites on myself and once on a kid, thankfully without side effects. What is impact of more natural landscaping wrt ticks in 'ew England?

Tangential but have you considered growing food? Can use up a good amount of backyard space that would otherwise just be grass, add some raised planters and such, and create an enriching activity for the family plus get ultra fresh veggies you might otherwise never have a chance to eat.

This also gives you an opportunity to explore varieties and cultivars that don’t stay fresh for long (no commercial viability) but are delicious when picked fresh

You can also look into plants that often aren’t commonly available just due to being obscure. Kiwi berry, beach plum, etc

Not for everyone, of course. But it can be a great way to make use of a large suburban property if you aren’t attached to the grassy field look.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#102

Post by asow92 »

__MatrixMan__ wrote: post #81
asow92 wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you considered that some people want it that way and choose to live in such a place?

Hidden benefit of HOA's: if you don't have one, you run a reduced risk of having those people be your neighbors.

Exactly, it works both ways and that’s a good thing.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#103

Post by badpun »

madoublet wrote: post #12
thatfrenchguy wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never really understood why people have lawns in the first place, no-one ever sits on them. Really shocked me when I moved to the US, people value having backyards and just don't spend time there (yeah I'm watching you commenting down on how much you use it and challenge you to actual journal how much time your family spends in there)

Looks nice. Soft to walk on. Great for kids and pets. Fairly inexpensive to maintain. Never really understood why people don't like lawns TBH.

The noise from all the grass mowing is really annoying (second only to leaf blowing). Fortunately, people are slowly switching to much quieter electric mowers.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#104

Post by hgsgm »

wkdneidbwf wrote: post #51
hgsgm wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would trash and dog feces go together with a meadow? The trash is obviously a problem, which can be addressed directly.

there’s definitely a difference between a meadow (and the suburban front yard conversion thereof) and an unkempt traditional grass lawn. the latter suggests a resident that doesn’t keep up their property.

Your prejudice shouldn't be my problem.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#105

Post by jonnycomputer »

anonymous_sorry wrote: post #58
jonnycomputer wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who has been doing this for a few years in Virginia, which is plenty wet, it's not really bad. I minimize mowing until May (a little earlier this year because its been so warm so early), and the first go of it is tough, but I put the setting on the highest; then I keep it relatively short by June or July. Meaning, its really no big deal. The real issue, as far as I'm concerned, is what are you letting grow…

I get loads of dandelions and dock, which I find ugly (grandmotherly conditioning) and are not terribly good for bees. In the UK at least, they say wildflower meadows flourish on poor soil, where dandelion, dock and grass struggle. Sometimes you read that you should scrape off the fertile topsoil before sprinkling wildflower seeds, but this seems kinda perverse to me. Instead, I weed the dock and dandelion by hand. B…

Nice. I think we have to choose our battles, and even in our own property I think we may end up having to take a Tom Bombadil in the Old Forest approach.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#106

Post by pfannkuchen »

thatfrenchguy wrote: post #8
kelnos wrote: post #5

> residents of Appleton, Wisconsin [...] convinced their City Council to suspend their weed ordinance for the month of May. This reminds me that there are many municipalities and homeowners' associations that essentially require you to mow your lawn weekly or bi-weekly, lest your grass gets too long and they fine you, because... reasons. It's really gross that we allow people to be such busybodies.

Never really understood why people have lawns in the first place, no-one ever sits on them. Really shocked me when I moved to the US, people value having backyards and just don't spend time there (yeah I'm watching you commenting down on how much you use it and challenge you to actual journal how much time your family spends in there)

I’ve never seen this aspect discussed, but a lawn does look like a whole lot of baby wheat, aka food in the near future. Any chance agrarian peoples developed an instinct to consider baby grain specifically attractive and perhaps comforting?

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#107

Post by stephencanon »

munificent wrote: post #37
thatfrenchguy wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never really understood why people have lawns in the first place, no-one ever sits on them. Really shocked me when I moved to the US, people value having backyards and just don't spend time there (yeah I'm watching you commenting down on how much you use it and challenge you to actual journal how much time your family spends in there)

> no-one ever sits on them. Doing stuff on your lawn is only part of its function. Much of the value it provides, arguably most of the value is a combination of: 1. More distance and acoustic isolation from neighbors. A larger property with a house in the middle of it separated from others by space means you hear your neighbors less and they hear you less. It makes your home a little more of a sanctuary. 2. A better…

Lawns provide almost none of that, though. Trees, gardens and meadows all provide much better separation from neighbors and much, much better views out the window. Lawns are just ... voids.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#108

Post by acapybara »

adriand wrote: post #33
kelnos wrote: post #5

> residents of Appleton, Wisconsin [...] convinced their City Council to suspend their weed ordinance for the month of May. This reminds me that there are many municipalities and homeowners' associations that essentially require you to mow your lawn weekly or bi-weekly, lest your grass gets too long and they fine you, because... reasons. It's really gross that we allow people to be such busybodies.

I think having property standards is an important part of ensuring that people keep up their properties and by extension, maintain (and ideally beautify) their neighbourhoods. I can see how someone who puts the time and effort into creating an alternative to a lawn (such as a garden featuring wild species) may take issue with an ordnance that doesn't take into account alternatives to a traditional lawn, but when peop…

There's a big assumption persisting throughout this thread which I will challenge.

That is: that HOA rules and enforcement results in better-maintained properties.

What I have observed as a near-universal property of neighborhoods is that there are good neighborhoods and bad neighborhoods. This always correlates with the quality of the population of the surrounding area, and sometimes (but not always) correlates with its socioeconomic status and property vales.

Anecdotally, where I have seen the most overgrown grass, dogshit, and intra-community hostility, there typically is a HOA present. While one could argue that these communities have an insufficient level of rule enforcement, this is contrary to the reality where some neighbors are constantly surveiling and reporting others and compliance notices and warnings are sent out regularly.

The best neighborhoods, as measured by low crime, well-maintained properties, sense of community, and so-on, are often those without an HOA at all. They tend to be expensive, but aren't necessarily so. Here, a compliance notice or warning is unheard of. Generally, neighbors know and help one another and there is a broad, unspoken social contract concerning the way things ought to be. People do the right thing because they know they ought to, not because someone is holding a big stick over their head.

For maximizing both quality-of-life and net worth, it's therefore a good idea to target these neighborhoods as a primary residence, even if it means allocating significantly more capital to acquire the asset. Going hand-in-hand with this, it is also inherently a good idea to uphold the social contracts and take care of one's own property, as interests are aligned throughout the community.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#110

Post by lm28469 »

guepe wrote: post #9
kelnos wrote: post #5

> residents of Appleton, Wisconsin [...] convinced their City Council to suspend their weed ordinance for the month of May. This reminds me that there are many municipalities and homeowners' associations that essentially require you to mow your lawn weekly or bi-weekly, lest your grass gets too long and they fine you, because... reasons. It's really gross that we allow people to be such busybodies.

There is a strong advantage to regular mowing in my area (new england): way less risk of ticks. It's a real problem a'd with kids that spends time outside, ticks can be real scary. I got a few bites on myself and once on a kid, thankfully without side effects. What is impact of more natural landscaping wrt ticks in 'ew England?

> way less risk of ticks

That's only a side effect of "way less life" though

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