All this month I've been following a new trend called "No Mow May."
It's an underground, subversive movement where people ... don't cut their grass for an entire month.
Why? Not simply because it makes some neighbors very mad. Which it does. Sometimes you even get a fine for violating local ordinances on grass length. More likely, you get a warning. Either way, it shows the town your true colors. They think you're out of town. But then ... you're not! Did you go insane? No. Then come the whispers ... about No Mow May.
Sometimes the only way to get people to think about the health impact of their lawns is through radical civil disobedience.
This has more to do with human health than you might imagine. The no-mow trend (which, to be honest, reminds me of the "no-poo" movement against shampoo) was started in 2019 by a British plant-advocacy group. And, I know what you're thinking. They're just trying to get rich off plants. Just like the rest of those corporate tycoons and their plant advocacy!
But this trend is more about the bigger picture—how to create a more sustainable, healthy environment for both humans and the endangered garden gnomes.
It turns out, when you encircle your home with a variety of native species, including flowering plants and dandelions and moss, you create a habitat for birds and bees that ... well, you know what birds and bees do. You got the talk. It's gross, but important.
What's most interesting is how fast this simple idea has taken off. Possibly because people realize how important biodiversity is to the planet. Possibly because it's an excuse to not mow their lawn. Combine advocacy with lethargy, and you have a winning combo.
Since 2019 it's taken off, and this year led to coverage from the Chicago Tribune to the Baltimore Sun. What most stuck with me was a feature in Modern Farmer, "Why More Americans Are Rethinking Their Lawns," in which writer Emily Baron Cardloff explains:
Not to mention, lawns are boring.
If you want to be original and interesting—to who what you stand for—surround your home in a maze of 8-foot sunflowers. Sure, the local authorities might try to give you a citation. But first they'd have to find you in the maze.
