NO MOW MAY

My husband Steven and I were out for a ride, down by the shore, when we passed a house whose yard was a mess. I pointed to all the kids toys strewn all over the front lawn. The grass had to have been at least a foot tall.

“Okay, I get having kids is a lot of work and putting their toys away each night can be a pain. But maybe at least cut the lawn?” I looked over at Steven to see if he agreed with me.

He glanced to where I was pointing and shrugged his shoulders. “They’re probably doing the ‘No Mow May’”.

“The what?” I was confused.

“The No Mow May.” he said and proceeded to explain. “You don’t mow your lawn for the month of May.”

“Oh, come on!” I cried. “You’re making that up!”

“I’m not.” Steven shook his head. “Look it up.”

While Steven continued to drive I pulled my phone out of my purse and began the search.

After a few seconds I had to confess. “Well, you’re right. It’s a thing.”

I scanned through the article picking out the phrase, creating a habitat for early season pollinators.

“I guess it makes sense.” I looked over at Steven. “Giving the bees and butterflies a little help.” I started to laugh. “We help the pollinators even when our lawn is cut with all the clover we have.”

“That’s true.” He sighed. “Even though our lawn was originally sod.”

“Yeah, but now we’re helping the bees.”

“Completely makes all the money we spent laying sod worth it.”

We were passing another house whose lawn was overgrown. “There’s another No Mow May…”

I stopped myself in mid-sentence. “Nope, I take that back. It looks like nobody is living there.”

We drove on for a few more miles before Steven asked, “Did I tell you that our milkweed is beginning to come up?”

“I saw that.”

“I’m going to have to get them in bigger pots soon.”

“See?” I smiled. “Between our clover and all the milkweed we’re growing we’re doing our part for the bees and butterflies without having our front yard looking like a mess.”

We were going by another house that hadn’t cut their front lawn.

“Okay, people it’s June already!” I called out in the car. “It’s time to put this No Mow May to an end!”

Steven put his hand over his ear that was closest to me. “You know I’m sitting right next to you. You really don’t need to be shouting.”

“I’m not shouting.” I corrected him. “I’m projecting my voice.”

Steven looked confused. “Isn’t that the same thing?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “One sounds nicer than the other.”

Steven shook his head and laughed again. “Okay, can you project a little softer?”

I shrugged my shoulders again. “I can try. But I can’t make any promises.”