Between my neighbor’s house and mine, there is a wonderful rocky outcrop that forms a high forested ridge of mature red oak and hemlock. Even though we reside about 100 feet apart, our properties have differing histories and are not visible to each other. My place is surrounded by woods, whereas hers, formerly agricultural land, was maintained as an expansive lawn.
Judy Whitbeck decided to quit mowing patches of that lawn last spring. Perhaps the seed was planted when “No Mow May” and other fledgling responses to climate change were promoted. She reflects on the initiatives of the Mt. Washington Conservation Commission that are engaging citizens in the fight to limit invasive plants that threaten cherished native ecosystems and our quality of life. “It’s a learning experience, finding out the effects of climate change. I’m the steward of this land. I looked around my yard and asked, do I really need such a big lawn? It’s excessive!”
“How surprised I was to discover the flowers,” neighbor Judy exclaimed about seeing the creeping bellflowers (Campanula rapunculoides) for the first time in early summer. “Every single day something wonderful popped up that I didn’t expect. I found my curiosity reawakened. Less mow, more fun watching what pops up. I’m 100 percent in on decreasing the size of my lawn.”
For my part, upon experiencing lovely blue harebells and shining yellow St. John’s-wort meet my gaze where uninteresting lawn had been, I felt thrilled to be with old friends I had been missing. I confirmed the identity of both plants with botanist Ted Elliman, who offered, “creeping harebell or bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) is a widespread non-native wildflower that grows in thickets and field edges. Not invasive—has a nice inflorescence. It’s not a problem plant and neither is the naturalized St. John’s-wort (Hypericum perforatum).” The ground is alive again.
In November’s “Nature’s Turn” column number one on the “List of Nine Things You Can Do at Home to Help Fight Climate Change” is “Cut the size of your lawn in half.”
Thirty years ago, I dug up the 50-by-40-foot lawn adjacent to the house I had just purchased. My purpose in purchasing a home was to have a garden! About 15 years into cultivating a mostly edible landscape, a winterberry bush planted itself in the middle of a border, seeded by native species winterberry (Ilex verticilata) that flourish in the environs. Consider this shrub for your landscape: a contribution to our ecosystem. To produce seed, a male and a female winterberry plant must be present. It is important to insist on “species” natives when procuring plants from a nursery, stock that has not been genetically altered. When their seeds are dispersed by Pileated Woodpeckers, Cedar Waxwings, and Robins, to name a few, the plants will be true to their wild ancestors.
The Deptford Pink (Dianthus armenia) is part of the bellflower patch. It, too, is a charming naturalized individual. The yellow-flowering Black Medic (Medicago lupulin) is also an import.
What is the “Homegrown National Park for pollinators” that we two neighbors are growing? Increasing biodiversity is part of it. View the one-and-a-half-hour podcast offered by Dr. Doug Tallamy for the National Wildlife Federation, or read his book: “Nature’s Best Hope: How You Can Save the World in Your Own Backyard,” published by Timber Press.
