Bored with manicured lawns, some homeowners adopt No Mow May all year long
The movement has expanded to 'Let It Bloom June' and the fall version: 'Leave the leaves.' Conservation and horticulture groups say year-round low-mowing while selectively leaving native plants to grow can save huge amounts of drinking water and lead to lasting and impactful ecological changes.
When Amanda Beltranmini Healen moved into her Nashville ranch house in 2016, the yard had been manicured for sale: a walnut tree, roses from a home improvement store and short grass. So she experimented, first with a 10-by-10-foot patch where she dug up the grass and sowed native seeds. Then she planted goldenrods in the culvert near the street, and let more of her yard grow tall without mowing.
Local authorities apparently didn't appreciate her natural look: 'I got a letter from the city saying that I had to mow it,' she said.
But then, a friend told her about No Mow Month signs, provided by the Cumberland River Compact, a local water conservation nonprofit. Soon she was signaling to the city that she's no derelict, but a participant in an international movement.
These days, every month is No Mow May in parts of her property. While she keeps the growth shorter near the culvert and street, her backyard is filled with native grasses and plants up to her knees or waist. There's a decomposing tree trunk where scores of skinks and bugs live, birds nest under her carport and she regularly finds fawns sleeping in the safety of the high grasses.
'I have a lot of insects and bugs and that's protein, so the birds and the bird's nests are everywhere. Cardinals and wrens and cowbirds and robins,' she said. 'I wake up to them, especially during spring migration right now. It's just a cacophony in the morning and in the evening, especially when the mulberries come in.'
The movement is popularized by groups such as Plantlife, a conservation organization based in England.
American lawns, based on English and French traditions, are increasingly seen as a wasteful monoculture that encourages an overuse of pesticides, fertilizer and water. Outdoor spraying and irrigation account for over 30 percent of a U.S. household's total water consumption, and can be twice that in drier climates, according to the EPA.
Some criticize No Mow campaigns as a fad that could invite invasive plants to spread unchecked without helping pollinators much, if only done for a month.
A guide outlining No Mow pros, cons and limitations, written by consumer horticulture extension specialist Aaron Steil at the University of Iowa, says reducing mowing to every two weeks and replacing turf with plants that pollinate all year long can offer more benefits without risking a citation or complaints.
The No Mow effort does encourage people to think more about biodiversity in their yards, and many local nature organizations advise provide guidance on picking non-invasive plants that fit each region's climate and precipitation levels.
Reducing mowing encourages longer-rooted native grasses and flowers to grow, which breaks up compacted soil and improves drainage, 'meaning that when it rains, more water is going to be captured and stored in lawns versus being generated as a runoff and entering into our stormwater system,' said Jason Sprouls, urban waters program manager for the Cumberland River Compact.
Beltranmini Healen isn't just letting just anything grow — she learned which plants are invasive, non-native or not beneficial to the ecosystem and carefully prunes and weeds so the keepers have room to thrive.
Nashville homeowner Brandon Griffith said he was just tired of mowing when he decided years ago wait and see what comes up. Then he consciously added flowering plants to attract bees and bugs. Now he sees so many insects and pollinators all over his garden that the neighbors' kids come over to look for butterflies.
It's about giving them the time 'to come out of their larva or their egg stage and be able to grow,' said Griffith. He said he's never heard a complaint — in fact, some of his neighbors also stopped mowing for a month each spring. His four-year-old son catches lizards, digs for worms and hunts for bugs in the yard.
'I just enjoy coming out and walking around,' said Griffith. 'And looking at it, it's kind of peaceful. It's kinda relaxing.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Madonna urges the pope to visit Gaza ‘before it's too late'
LONDON (AP) — Madonna has urged the pope to travel to Gaza and 'bring your light to the children before it's too late.' The superstar posted her appeal to the pontiff on social media Monday, saying her son Rocco's birthday prompted her to make the post. Rocco turned 25 Monday. Addressing Pope Leo XIV, she wrote: 'Most Holy Father. Please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it's too late. As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering. 'The children of the world belong to everyone. You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry,' she added. 'We need the humanitarian gates to be fully opened to save these innocent children. There is no more time. Please say you will go. Love, Madonna.' The singer added that she wasn't taking sides in the war. 'I am not pointing fingers, placing blame or taking sides. Everyone is suffering. Including the mothers of the hostages,' she wrote. 'I pray that they are released as well. I am merely trying to do what I can to keep these children from dying of starvation.' The pope recently renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking the international community to respect humanitarian laws and the obligation to protect civilians. 'I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,' the pontiff said last month. Aid workers and doctors have said that after months of Israeli blockade and turmoil in the distribution of supplies, children in Gaza with no previous conditions are starting to die from malnutrition. Israel's air and ground offensive, sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack into Israel, has displaced most of the some 2 million Palestinians in Gaza and pushed the territory toward famine. The United Nations said that across Gaza, more than 5,000 children were diagnosed with malnutrition in May, though that is likely an undercount. Malnutrition was virtually nonexistent before the war. Doctors struggle to treat the children because many supplies have run out, the U.N. says. Israel denies a famine is taking place or that children are starving. It says it has supplied enough food throughout the war and accuses Hamas of causing shortages by stealing aid and trying to control food distribution.
Japan Forward
15 hours ago
- Japan Forward
Enduring Trauma: The Forgotten Struggles of Japanese American Veterans
The trauma or psychological scars soldiers carry from the battlefield can haunt them long after the fighting ends. Some Japanese soldiers who fought in the last war also suffered from mental illness. However, their struggles were largely overlooked, and their wounds have since been buried in history. Eighty years on, we continue to examine the enduring impact of war. In the dense jungle, enemy forces advanced through underground tunnels. "The first two months were the scariest. I knew nothing about war or the battlefield, and I was constantly on edge, never knowing when I might run into the enemy," recalled Takeshi Furumoto, a third-generation Japanese American living in New Jersey. He is now 80 years old. Fifty years after the end of the Vietnam War (1955–1975), he looked back and revisited his memories from that time. Takeshi Furumoto in New Jersey, US. Furumoto graduated from university in 1968 and enlisted in the United States Army. In February 1970, he was deployed to the front lines near the Cambodian border as an intelligence officer. His mission was to gather information about enemy movements from local residents. When he arrived in the villages, however, he often found them deserted, the enemy having already fled. Haunted by unseen foes and gripped by suspicion toward the villagers, he lived in a state of constant tension. Takashi Furumoto serving in the Vietnam War, June 1970. The guerrilla enemy skillfully lured American soldiers into minefields. Furumoto saw a superior officer ambushed, his leg blown off by a grenade, and comrades gunned down before his eyes. "I was always on edge, but over time my senses grew numb, and I stopped caring. I just felt empty," he recalled. To strip the jungle of cover, the US military sprayed defoliants from the air, the chemicals falling indiscriminately on both friends and foes. Furumoto returned home in February 1971, but found it difficult to get along with those around him. Eventually, he left Los Angeles and moved to New Jersey on the East Coast. Unaware of the changes within himself, he had become constantly dissatisfied and quick to anger. "Before the war, he was an optimistic and compassionate person…" said his wife, Carolyn (77). She also sensed that something had changed in her husband after the war. Takashi Furumoto, appointed a second lieutenant in the US Army Intelligence Division, February 1969. The siren of the fire truck leaving the station across the street reminded Furumoto of the alarm that blared when rockets were launched at the enemy on the battlefield. Each time it sounded, he would dive under the bed. It took a long time before it was discovered that the cause of these changes was post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition stemming from the trauma he experienced on the battlefield. "There still are homeless Vietnam War veterans in Manhattan, New York," Furumoto said. "Without my wife's support, I could have ended up in the same situation." Furumoto was born in a Japanese American internment camp established by the US government after the outbreak of the war between Japan and the US. In December 1945, shortly after the atomic bombing, his family relocated to Hiroshima. They returned to the US in 1956, when discrimination against Japanese Americans remained deeply entrenched. Takeshi Furumoto with his wife, Carolyn, on their wedding day in Los Angeles, USA, January 30, 1972. While many Americans resisted military service, Furumoto chose to enlist, driven by a desire to be recognized as an American. At the time, the Vietnam War became the first conflict to be televised, and the anti-war movement was in full swing. Like many returning soldiers, Furmoto was deeply wounded by insults hurled at him by those opposed to the war. He was accosted with words like "murderer" and "Why did you come back alive?" Eventually, with his wife's support, he founded a successful real estate company in 1974. Yet he kept his memories of Vietnam locked away, remaining silent about his experiences. It wasn't until about 2019, when the New Jersey state government formally recognized his service, that he finally began to open up and share his story from the war. A medal that Furumoto once felt uneasy displaying hangs in his office. Having been exposed to defoliants, he underwent two heart surgeries and now takes ten different medications. "For the first time, I felt appreciated and proud to have fought on the battlefield. Fifty years after the war ended, I finally felt like my old self again," Furumoto said. After losing the Vietnam War, his homeland, the United States, sought to forget that difficult era. Meanwhile, in postwar Japan, values shifted dramatically, and the topic of war became taboo. Reflecting on his own experiences, Furumoto also contemplated his connection to his other homeland, Japan. "What hurt the most was that even though we fought for our country, society criticized us. I believe Japanese soldiers felt that pain, too," he said. Author: Shoko Ikeda, Eriko Ogawa, The Sankei Shimbun (Read this in Japanese )
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Toronto Sun
Explosion at US Steel plant in Pennsylvania leaves 1 dead, dozens hurt or trapped
The explosion sent black smoke spiralling into the midday sky in the Monongahela Valley Published Aug 11, 2025 • 4 minute read Emergency crews gather after an explosion at the Clairton Coke Works, a U.S. Steel coking plant, Monday, Aug 11, 2025, in Clairton, Penn. Photo by Gene Puskar / AP An explosion at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh left one dead and dozens injured or trapped under the rubble Monday, with emergency workers on site trying to rescue victims, officials said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The explosion sent black smoke spiralling into the midday sky in the Monongahela Valley, a region of the state synonymous with steel for more than a century. An Allegheny County emergency services spokesperson, Kasey Reigner, said one person died in the explosion and two were currently believed to be unaccounted for. Multiple other people were treated for injuries, Reigner said. Allegheny County Emergency Services said a fire at the plant started around 10:51 a.m. The explosion sent a shock through the community and led to officials asking residents to stay away from the scene so emergency workers could respond. 'It felt like thunder,' Zachary Buday, a construction worker near the scene, told WTAE-TV. 'Shook the scaffold, shook my chest, and shook the building, and then when we saw the dark smoke coming up from the steel mill and put two and two together, and it's like something bad happened.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Dozens were injured and the county was sending 15 ambulances, on top of the ambulances supplied by local emergency response agencies, Reigner said. Air quality concerns and health warnings The plant, a massive industrial facility along the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh, is considered the largest coking operation in North America and is one of four major U.S. Steel plants in Pennsylvania that employ several thousand workers. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, who formerly served as the mayor of nearby Braddock, called the explosion 'absolutely tragic' and vowed to support steelworkers in the aftermath. 'I grieve for these families,' Fetterman said. 'I stand with the steelworkers.' The Allegheny County Health Department said it is monitoring the explosion and advised residents within 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of the plant to remain indoors, close all windows and doors, set air conditioning systems to recirculate, and avoid drawing in outside air, such as using exhaust fans. It said its monitors have not detected levels of soot or sulfur dioxide above federal standards. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The plant converts coal to coke, a key component in the steel-making process. According to the company, it produces 4.3 million tons (3.9 million metric tons) of coke annually and has approximately 1,400 workers. The plant has a long history of pollution concerns In recent years, the Clairton plant has been dogged by concerns about pollution. In 2019, it agreed to settle a 2017 lawsuit for $8.5 million. Under the settlement, the company agreed to spend $6.5 million to reduce soot emissions and noxious odors from the Clairton coke-making facility. The company also faced other lawsuits over pollution from the Clairton facility, including ones accusing the company of violating clean air laws after a 2018 fire damaged the facility's sulfur pollution controls. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In 2018, a Christmas Eve fire at the Clairton coke works plant caused $40 million in damage. The fire damaged pollution control equipment and led to repeated releases of sulfur dioxide, according to a lawsuit. Sulfur dioxide is a colorless, pungent byproduct of fossil fuel combustion that can make it hard to breathe. In the wake of the fire, Allegheny County warned residents to limit outdoor activities, with residents saying for weeks afterward that the air felt acidic, smelled like rotten eggs and was hard to breathe. In February, a problem with a battery at the plant led to a 'buildup of combustible material' that ignited, causing an audible 'boom,' the Allegheny County Health Department said. Two workers who got material in their eyes received first aid treatment at a local hospital but were not seriously injured. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Last year, the company agreed to spend $19.5 million in equipment upgrades and $5 million on local clean air efforts and programs as part of settling a federal lawsuit filed by Clean Air Council and PennEnvironment and the Allegheny County Health Department. The fire at the Clairton plant knocked out pollution controls at its Mon Valley plants, but U.S. Steel continued to run them anyway, environmental groups said. The lawsuits accused the steel producer of more than 12,000 violations of its air pollution permits. Environmental group calls for an investigation David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment, another environmental group that has sued U.S. Steel over pollution, said there needed to be 'a full, independent investigation into the causes of this latest catastrophe and a re-evaluation as to whether the Clairton plant is fit to keep operating.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In June, U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel announced they had finalized a 'historic partnership,' a deal that gives the U.S. government a say in some matters and comes a year and a half after the Japanese company first proposed its nearly $15 billion buyout of the iconic American steelmaker. The pursuit by Nippon Steel for the Pittsburgh-based company was buffeted by national security concerns and presidential politics in a premier battleground state, dragging out the transaction for more than a year after U.S. Steel shareholders approved it. Clairton Mayor Richard Lattanzi said his heart goes out to the victims of Monday explosion. 'The mill is such a big part of Clairton,' he said. 'It's just a sad day for Clairton.' Celebrity World World Canada MLB
