Itching to skip mowing? In St. Paul, city inspectors will turn a blind eye in May in case your grass gets a bit tall and weedy.
That’s since the St. Paul City Council voted 6-0 on Wednesday to endorse “No Mow May,” an effort supported by Great River Greening and other environmental advocates to advertise pollinator habitat. Council President Amy Brendmoen was absent.
The reasoning goes that skipping spring lawn mowing allows native wildflowers, grasses, vines, shrubs and even trees to start to take root or flower from fallen woods and plant materials just as early-season birds and bees begin to explore. As a part of the trouble, the town’s Department of Safety and Inspections in May will pause summary abatement notices for tall grass and weeds.
Research in Appleton, Wisconsin, showed that homes that participated of their 2020 “No Mow May” effort had “more diverse and abundant flora,” including an uptick within the bee population, in response to the town council resolution.
No Mow May, which got its start in the UK, has drawn participation from several Minnesota cities, including Edina, Monticello and Vadnais Heights.
Latest Brighton participates in “Mow Less May,” a recognition, in response to their website, that “not everyone can go your entire month of May without mowing.” A study by the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station found bee abundance still increased even when lawns were mown every other week.
The St. Paul City Council committed St. Paul to being a pollinator-friendly city in January 2016.