‘Got that job done’ used to be my way of thinking, after having mown the lawn. ‘Nice and tidy’; a sense of achievement, although marred by the knowledge that I would have to do it all again the next week. Most definitely a chore, and a noisy one at that. I always had an uneasy feeling that I may be spoiling my neighbour’s relaxing sit down in the garden.
Then something changed, I’m not sure exactly when or how. I had always been interested in gardening and plants. Perhaps through my love of birds leading me to think about how they sustain themselves? Or through going on wildflower guided walks, and being alerted to the beauty of the spontaneous flowers that popped up on kerbsides and verges, Or appreciating the startling beauty of orchids, verbascum etc that grow in the uncut verges of rural French villages (these displays being even more widespread since they banned the spraying of herbicides a few years back). Or becoming aware of the alarming decline in insects.
Whatever it was, I started noticing wildflowers everywhere. At the same time, Plantlife were talking about the benefits of leaving areas of grass uncut in the spring and summer. I was particularly inspired by a friend who was ahead of the game and had left vast areas to grow and just cut paths through what became a beautiful meadow and haven for nature. And so I gave it a go.
It was amazing to see what flowers came up, but also how it made me feel: a lovely feeling of calm, and curiosity to see what was growing, when previously I would be thinking ‘oh no, I need to mow the lawn again, when can I fit it in?’ or; ‘look at that weeding I need to do’. Instead, now, I was seeing these ‘weeds’ in a new light, and was especially delighted to observe the bees and other pollinators that alighted. And even more delightful one day was to see a small flock of goldfinches hopping about amongst the dandelion seed heads on my lawn.
I realised I had stopped seeing my garden as something to be controlled, but rather something to nurture for nature’s benefit, and that most definitely included the lawn. It was a revelation. With my new ‘wild’ lawn, I also had a new hobby. Whenever I needed a break, I could pop out into the garden for a wander, and see what insects may be buzzing around the clover, or what new flowers may have popped up overnight. A new tiny world beneath my feet! And with this, my interest in these humble flowers grew, and I discovered there was so much I didn’t know about them, and so much to value.
I discovered that the humble dandelion is particularly valuable as an early nectar source for bees and butterflies, and that the seeds that follow provide food for bullfinches, greenfinches, goldfinches, and serins. The UK’s leading gardening charity, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) now includes them in their ‘plants for pollinators’ list, and actively encourages gardeners to welcome them to their lawns.
They even describe them now as ‘wildlife plants’ rather than ‘weeds’, and go so far as suggesting growing a small patch in your veg beds to encourage pollinators to your crops! And that’s without even mentioning its edible uses for us humans. The leaves are considered to be very nutritious and can be eaten in a salad, are cooked in Asian cuisine, and the flowers can be baked into cakes! Amazing! I’m looking forward to continuing my relaxed approach to gardening this spring, and enjoying the tiny world beneath my feet!
Tina
