WRITTEN BY CASEY BERNARD
Recently, my husband and I inherited a property with a large yard with mowed lawns and well-tended traditional gardens. The design includes hostas, arborvitae, and daffodils that announce spring has arrived.
Not only was the mowing bill more than we wanted to pay, but we knew that gas powered lawn equipment is a major contributor to greenhouse gases. According to a report by the EPA, a single gas-powered lawn mower emits as much pollution in one hour as driving a car for 45 miles. One of our first goals was to take a more relaxed approach to the garden, including a plan to stop use of pesticides and to add more native plants to the design.
Looking for advice, I spoke with Emily Baisden, Seed Program Director at the Wild Seed Project for tips on how to approach our newly acquired land.
Begin by letting the lawn go without mowing to find out what is already in the seed bank in your yard. Using apps like Go Botany and iNaturalist or books like “Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide or the Northeast Native Plant Primer,” identify the plants that are already there. Then, after identifying and determining what you want to keep and encourage, begin editing by pulling out the plants you do not want or want less of and determine which plants you want more of. Get to know the soil and light in the area to determine the right plant for the right place.
Recognize that old ways of thinking about gardening might not be what a native garden needs. Baisden gave the example of gardeners who were worried about a patch in the yard where nothing grows. She encouraged them to leave it as it was because an empty patch of soil can be a habitat for ground-nesting bees. According to the Bee Conservancy, 70% of the world’s bee species live underground and bees are important pollinators in the garden.
Stop using pesticides — even organic pesticides. Pesticides will kill the unwanted bugs, but they will also harm the wanted insects like butterflies. Instead of spraying pests like aphids, brush them off with water or wipe them off the leaves. Eventually wasps or ladybugs will arrive to take care of the infestations. Nature has a way of balancing out if we leave it alone.
Some die off is natural and an important contribution to the ecosystem. The stump of a tree that needs to be cut down could become a welcome home for insects and birds. Dead leaves in the yard not only add important nutrients to the soil, but also create habitats for insects to overwinter. Those insects will pollinate next summer’s plants and become food for birds and small mammals.
Be prepared that not everyone will be supportive of your newly shaggy lawn. Baisden joked that a neighbor keeps trying to loan her a lawnmower since she has let her lawn grow. But as more gardeners learn the importance of going more native, more neighbors will be understanding and might even ask how they can take a similar approach to their yard.
Remember ecological time moves slower than human time. Be patient, celebrate the small wins and recognize it does not take much to see change. Based on your capacity, take on one small area at a time. Baisden recommends starting with edging and shrubs because these areas can be the most impactful as edge habitat tends to be the most biodiverse. Edges provide canopy and ground cover for many species.
The Wild Seed Project provides people and organizations with the tools and information needed to improve the landscape around them by repopulating native plants and improving the biodiversity of the area. They are currently building a native seed center in Cape Elizabeth and will host a native plant sale in September. Seeds and other resources are available at their website: WildSeedProject.net.