Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

beecityusa.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 127 posts

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#51

Post by wkdneidbwf »

hgsgm wrote: post #42
adriand wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

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.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#52

Post by simonsarris »

TheBigSalad wrote: post #49
simonsarris wrote: post #41

I mow just a few times a year, mostly just cutting paths and leaving big sections of taller grasses. Some examples: https://twitter.com/simonsarris/status/1629638819954786305 https://twitter.com/simonsarris/status/1651949172931674112 The fields naturally have lots of clover, black eyed susans, milkweed, and daisies. I've also planted a lot of my own flowers. You can still have parts cut low, and if you leave the rest…

It almost sounds like you are bragging about being environmentally friendly. I think most people with a yard that big would just mow a lawn for their needs and let most it ]grow in with trees or whatever comes up. For the record, I have no problem with what you are doing and I think it looks cool.

The intent isn't to brag but to show that something nice-looking and achievable outside the norm is possible. I think a lot of people want the feel of open space, so they go for a manicured lawn. In other words their desires are largely aesthetic. I think if you try to keep things field-like, its lower-effort for (IMO) a better aesthetic. It also seems to be environmentally better, but you don't even need that argument.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#53

Post by roflyear »

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.

Takes a lot of time to maintain. Or like $300/m.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#54

Post by lukas099 »

0zemp2c wrote: post #2

Lots of people use landscaping services Most services want you on a weekly schedule because they make more money. Close-cut lawns are thirstier. It can take effort to find services that will only come twice a month but they are out there. Lawns aren't just ornamental for many...if you are on septic, the lawn is helping to recycle septic discharge, and trees would root too deep and break the lines.

I think tall grasses would filter a lot more than turfgrass.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#55

Post by lukas099 »

thenerdhead wrote: post #34

Yeah let’s not look at farmers, politicians, or Aggie corporations. Let’s make you feel bad about bees while we give more water to those using majority of the limited resources to begin with.

Farmers are feeding the world efficiently. And residential yards really do make a difference.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#56

Post by bluefirebrand »

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…

> 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.

This purpose does not necessarily need to be serviced by a lawn, which is just a patch of grass.

Lawns are stupid.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#57

Post by bluefirebrand »

asow92 wrote: post #38
morkalork wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mixing clover and other small flowering plants with grass is definitely the way to go. I can sit on the swing in my backyard and lose count of all the bumblebees and small butterflies bouncing across the lawn. What I don't understand is, is the need for huge front lawns. It's all the work with none of the benefits. Just a waste of space really. People don't use them the same way at all.

> What I don't understand is, is the need for huge front lawns. It's all the work with none of the benefits. Just a waste of space really. People don't use them the same way at all. Have you considered that some people just like looking at it and that's enough? It's their private property after all.

That's not a sufficient reason to have bylaws and HOAs that enforce front lawns. Which is amazingly common.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#58

Post by anonymous_sorry »

jonnycomputer wrote: post #32
madoublet wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also impractical simply b/c non-commercial mowers cannot cut long grass.

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. Both have pretty evil taproots. This is enough of a task with my small garden, I can't imagine doing it for a half-acre!

I have quite a lot of tree cover, so I planted native bulbs beneath the lawn which have done reasonably well (they mostly come up before the trees are in leaf). I basically don't mow these patches from February til June, as the bulbs are best left until they die back naturally to store up energy for the next year. I mow a winding path through the long grass which looks rather nice (mowing around the longer areas is a good general tip for making things look neat rather than neglected). Other than that, I seem to have clover, creeping buttercup, cow parsley and common vetch. I rather like the vetch so spread it around a bit. This year I've put in a few ox-eye daisy plugs, which I'm told I may live to regret, but we'll see.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#59

Post by WheatMillington »

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.

HoA areas are voluntary, you don't have to live in them. I wish we had that kind of thing in New Zealand that I could voluntarily buy into. I don't see anything wrong with having high standards where you live.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#60

Post by Volundr »

hgsgm wrote: post #45
s1artibartfast wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Freedom of choice and mutual consent. Everyone owning a house in a HOA signed on the dotted line. Not for me, but some people hate long grass and are willing to waive their property rights so they don't have to see it. I'm glad there is an outlet where they can do their own thing without involving me. The fact that this sometimes becomes a municipality issue is a major failing.

HOA doesn't have an opt-out, and does have a monopoly on homes within a geographical area. And often nearby areas have HOAs also. And HOAs can be kept secret from home buyers until after they sign a purchase contract. So meaningful consent is often absent.

And in fact most new developments are built with HOAs already intact, meaning finding a home without an HOA is constantly becoming harder. This isn't a free market customer choice thing. The supply comes with the burden whether the customer wants it or not.
Post reply on HN