Pollinator effort promoted in Homewood, but May is time to mow, expert says

Amid growing concern for populations of pollinators — the bees, butterflies and other tiny critters that help our gardens and crops grow — some are suggesting turning suburban yards into springtime buffets for bugs.

The No Mow May movement started in the UK in 2019, and it’s gaining traction on local turf.

In early April, Homewood village officials gave a go-ahead in a social media post to residents interested in participating in No Mow May. If homeowners wanted to forgo mowing their lawns to give pollinators a chance to dine on low-growing, early blooming plants, code inspectors would waive the longstanding six inch rule for turfgrass. At least until June 7.

After that, the village can issue tickets, or exercise authority to cut lawns that don’t scale back to six inches or less. The village can also place liens on property amounting to charges for the cutting service as well as the cost of registering the liens with Cook County.

Homewood resident Jessica Matushek, a photographer and pottery maker, doesn’t seem too concerned about any of that. She’s more focused on helping pollinators.

“We’ll just see how long we can go,” she said. “If the village is promoting No Mow May, it’s a good thing to save the pollinators, it’s a positive thing to raise awareness.”

That’s almost exactly what Abigail Garofalo, an ecology educator with the University of Illinois Extension, had to say about local No Mow May campaign efforts.

Garofalo praised Homewood’s willingness to raise awareness about the dependence of pollinators on low-growing native plants that tend to blossom in lawns in early spring.

“Lawn is the most irrigated crop in the U.S. We have more lawn in the U.S., more acres of lawn, than the size of Illinois,” she said. “So, the pollinators really need our help.”

But here in the Chicago area, No Mow May might be misnamed.

“Given our climate, where we are, May may not be the best option,” she said. “If you want to help pollinators by not cutting your lawn, the best time to do that here in Illinois is April.”

By May, Garofalo said, many of those early low-growing plant blossoms are gone.

“Your lawn is a living breathing thing,” she said. “It’s important to realize that anything you do to let it grow or cut it back can have an effect on related organisms.”

Grass blades allowed to grow long in May won’t supply pollinators with food. Also, cutting back grass by more than a third after it’s grown tall can weaken it and invite weeds.

“Instead of No Mow May, here in Illinois we should call it No Mow April,” Garofalo said. “It doesn’t sound as pretty, but we may need to call it something else, so people can realize May is not the best time.”

On the positive side, with April being the best time to not mow, those who haven’t yet started up their lawnmowers can feel glad they’ve already done something to help pollinators.

Throughout April, plenty of violets, dandelions and creeping Charlie added bright spots of yellow and purple to Matushek’s lush green lawn. Matushek even photographed her children—Romy, 7, and Sergio, 4—lying face up on the turf with dandelion blossoms covering their eyes.

“My children love being in nature,” she said, adding she’s comfortable allowing their children to embrace the outdoors in this way because she refrains from treating her lawn with herbicides or pesticides.

By the close of April, Romy and Sergio also discovered the wonder of picking dandelion globes and blowing their seeds to the wind.

“For me, I thought about what people are going to think?” Matushek said. “I like to challenge conformity when it comes to raising awareness about taking care of the earth and the world.”

Even so, Matushek made an effort to consider neighbors with more traditional approaches to lawn care. She let them know of her family’s intentions to participate in No Mow May and heard no complaints.

A member of the Homewood Beautification Committee even gave her an official statement noting, “I am a supporter of pollinator gardens, but I like my lawn to look nice,” he said. “I support the No Mow May campaign.”

Matushek frequently connects with area gardeners who appreciate the benefits of planting native species.

“The discussion (about No Mow May) has been, is it enough (to support pollinators)?” she said.

Matushek doesn’t think so and plans to do more.

Recently she removed sod from large areas on either side of her front walk to make room for additional native flower species. In the last few years, she’s planted coneflowers, black eyed Susans, milkweed, asters, phlox and obedient plant in her yard.

That effort also places Matushek and Garofalo on the same page.

“You can assist pollinators by providing native plants and habitats that support them,” Garofalo said.

The first steps to doing that, Garofalo said, include considering local ordinances, and how yard space is used.

“Can you plant your whole lawn with natives, or is that prohibited?” she said. “Do you still want a lawn area for kids and dogs to romp and play? Are there portions — corners, edges of your yard — you rarely set foot on?”

Garofalo recommends starting small and adding only a few new native plants each year. This can prevent homeowners from taking on too much too soon. It also provides the chance to determine whether new plants are responding well to local conditions — shade, sunlight, moisture, soil PH and terrain.

“One neighbor who’s retired, a birder, said this effort is good for the birds too,” Matushek said.

Matushek has allowed plenty of clover to infiltrate her lawn. As a result, she said, “We don’t have to water and it’s always green.”

Besides the pollinators, local rabbits also seem to appreciate the abundance of clover. Referring to evenings spent on the front porch with her husband, Peter Matushek, a high school teacher, Matushek said, “We like to sit out here with the kids and watch the bunnies eat the clover.”

Susan DeGrane is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.