Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
Life

No Lawn? All Lawn? Blended, Bee-friendly Lawn Can Be A Good Compromise

The Canadian Press , 23 Oct, 2014 10:50 AM
    Turf grass may be an attractive groundcover for homeowners but it doesn't hold much appeal for pollinators.
     
    Add some broadleaf plants with flowers to the mix, however, and it's a different story: great forage for the birds and the bees. Lower maintenance, too.
     
    "Bee lawns aren't 100 per cent flowers. They have some grass included," said Mary Meyer, an extension horticulturist and professor with the University of Minnesota. "While bees don't use grass, humans do. Most flowers, if you start walking on them, will die. Clover will tolerate a bit of foot traffic."
     
    Nitrogen-rich Dutch white clover generally is considered the best companion to cool-season lawn grasses when the objective is attracting pollinators, said Mace Vaughan, pollinator program director for The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Portland, Oregon. "You can mow it and keep it relatively tame in a lawn, and bees love it," Vaughan said. "The good thing about Dutch white clover is that it is good (to grow) across most of the U.S."
     
    There was a time when many turf seed mixes included clover. Then came the rise of lawn purity: Yards were designed to look like the manicured greens on a golf course. All grass. No broadleaf plants.
     
    These formalized landscapes were attractive but contained little food value for foraging honeybees.
     
    Now that clean lawn ethic is giving way to herb and vegetable gardens, a desire for minimal yard maintenance and concerns about steep declines in pollinating insects. People are opting for smaller lawns, blended lawns or no lawns.
     
    "The trend is urban meadows, where homeowners take out their lawns and replace them with diverse wildflowers that can get tall and rangy at the end of the season," Vaughan said. "But a nicely mown border around the outside keeps them looking tidy. Add a sign and people know you're doing it on purpose. Mow in the fall and the whole lawn is cleaned up nicely."
     
    Other flowering broadleaf plants include dandelions (which bloom early when little else is flowering), lamium (shade-tolerant) and thyme.
     
    Some property owners convert less visible sections of their yards into bio-diverse bee lawns.
     
    "Reserve some chunks," Meyer said. "Devote your back lawn to a bee lawn and leave your front lawn traditional turf — the part that your neighbours and passing traffic see."
     
    "For people who still want that green carpet look, try it with clover," Meyer said.
     
    Are flowering broadleafs invasive weeds or beneficial grass companions? It depends on your esthetics. But no matter how they're viewed, they require less care and less fertilizing, and are more resilient to drought and pests than traditional turf grass.
     
    "I've seen some beautiful mats of thyme that are mowed and attract many, many bees," Vaughan said. "Small varieties of yarrow are OK, but don't attract a lot of bees. Other pollinators come to the yarrow."
     
    University of Minnesota researchers are trying to come up with pollinator lawn-seed combinations that use native plant species — low-growing, non-invasive varieties that can take a lot of abuse.
     
    "That's a heavy order," Meyer said, "but they're doing trials. Next year they'll be planting demo plants to see how they flower and survive."

    MORE Life ARTICLES

    'Are There Worms In Your Beef?' Mcdonald's Fields Unappetizing Questions About Its Food

    'Are There Worms In Your Beef?' Mcdonald's Fields Unappetizing Questions About Its Food
    The world's biggest hamburger chain is confronting unappetizing questions as part of a U.S. campaign to beat back perceptions that it serves Frankenfood. The company has run similar campaigns in Canada and Australia and said Monday it's bringing the effort to its flagship market.

    'Are There Worms In Your Beef?' Mcdonald's Fields Unappetizing Questions About Its Food

    Should White Mom Be Paid For Sperm Bank Mixup That Gave Her A Brown Baby?

    Should White Mom Be Paid For Sperm Bank Mixup That Gave Her A Brown Baby?
    It's an unusual question, arising from an unusual lawsuit prompted by an insemination gone wrong. And it has set off an extraordinary discussion touching on sensitive issues of race, motherhood, sexuality and justice, though the debate begins with one basic premise: You should get what you pay for.

    Should White Mom Be Paid For Sperm Bank Mixup That Gave Her A Brown Baby?

    Why some mothers extend breastfeeding

    Why some mothers extend breastfeeding
    Mothers who decide to breastfeed their children beyond one year of age are driven more by their concerns for their children's physical and social development than....

    Why some mothers extend breastfeeding

    'Curiosity is a cognitive reward'

    'Curiosity is a cognitive reward'
    In a bid to unlock the mystery behind what triggers curiosity, researchers have discovered similarities in brain activation between a state of curiosity and the....

    'Curiosity is a cognitive reward'

    Hey Guys, Are You Fasting For Your Wife On Karva Chauth?

    Hey Guys, Are You Fasting For Your Wife On Karva Chauth?
    This Karva Chauth Chetan Bhagat, Jay Bhanushali and Hiten Tejwani have pledged their support to #FastForHer social initiative. So, are you fasting for your lady love?  

    Hey Guys, Are You Fasting For Your Wife On Karva Chauth?

    Natural And Artificial 'Flavours' Fuel Food Industry But Remain A Mystery

    Natural And Artificial 'Flavours' Fuel Food Industry But Remain A Mystery
    NEW YORK - They help give Coke its distinctive bite and Doritos its cheesy kick. But the artificial and natural flavours used to rev up the taste of processed foods remain a mystery to most Americans.

    Natural And Artificial 'Flavours' Fuel Food Industry But Remain A Mystery