The first week of May was marvelled with fields of fresh dandelion. It wasn't long before lawn mowers got rid of them—particularly in the bigger public fields in and around my neighbourhood (in Toronto), I noticed.
I came across one field in particular and don't think that I had ever seen so many of my favourite yellow wildflowers in one place, and was disappointed to see it once again dressed in green just a week after they bloomed. I was sad that they hadn't had the chance to become carriers of wishes and future dandelion flowers, or continue to provide nourishment for pollinators during this season. The start of spring can be a challenging time for bees as many plants and flowers are still dormant.
Dandelions are around between May and October but peak season is the beginning of spring to June. As one of the first flowers to emerge, dandelions are an important food source for pollinating insects in early spring. Since bees have already eaten through a lot of their stores of honey throughout the winter, they depend on these first-bloomers for sustenance. In fact, eight dandelion flowers can produce enough nectar sugar to keep an adult bumblebee alive. As well as 24 types of bees, creatures helped by longer lawns include butterflies and 25 varieties of moths, according to inews.co.uk.
As recommended by experts, keeping around dandelions and letting your lawn grow a little longer can help native plants disperse, provide food for animals, and give ground-nesting bees a chance to emerge for the season undisturbed.
No Mow May is a U.K.-based initiative, started by Plantlife, a British conservation charity working nationally and internationally to save threatened wild flowers, plants, and fungi. The campaign has gained traction in North America but could probably use some more momentum, as I had just heard of it by word of mouth a few days ago when we were already halfway through the month.
May is an ideal time to let lawns grow as the grass has not yet reached the height that it will later in the season. Furthermore, Homes & Gardens explains that Plantlife recommends doing a “Mowhican” style cut in gardens once May is over, where only some areas of lawn are mowed once a month. This layered approach of having short and long grass boosts floral diversity and thereby also nectar and pollen production throughout the year. “Short-grass” plants like daisies, self-heal, and white clover are given the chance to flower significantly and boost nectar tenfold.
As stated in an article by Country Living Magazine, research shows that simple changes in mowing can result in enough nectar for ten times more bees and other pollinators. Plantlife’s study for its annual No Mow May campaign shows over 200 species were discovered in lawns, including rarities like wild orchids, meadow saxifrage, and eyebright.
If you’re a keen gardener and worried about participating in No Mow May due to critical family members or noisy neighbours for your lack of a pristine lawn, try getting creative so that your garden does not look neglected. Botanists suggest cutting winding paths or “desired paths” through lawns to encourage the growth of wildflowers while maintaining a garden that is appealing to the eye. Another strategy is informing passersby why your lawn might look “unkempt” (Plantlife offers printable posters). Nevertheless, I do like the concept of not thinking of your garden as simply an extension of the inside of your house (this may be a reason why people can be overly concerned with having a pristine lawn), but rather, let it flourish as a unique outdoor space and embrace the natural wonders and all its wildness.
According to The Weather Network, each dandelion plant produces an average of 15,000 seeds. There are generally 150 to 200 seeds per flower, and each plant contains up to 10 flowers. It takes between nine and fifteen days for the vibrant yellow flower to turn into a puffball of seeds. The weather is also a factor in determining the life cycle of the plant—dandelions grow best when soil is warm and most. However, needless to say, dandelion seeds don’t fare so well in the rain (and we just had a big storm today). We have one more week left of May, so instead of adding to your chores and cutting your grass, perhaps just sit back in the shade and enjoy a glass of lemonade (made with dandelion honey, of course).
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