flaflwrgrl said:We don't mow our 6 acres. We just mow the path we use for a driveway & narrow pathways here & there where we often walk & directly around the house. We will mow the rest come the end of September so we can harvest the pecans. I see lots of pollinators out there in the non mowed areas; not nearly as many butterflies or Italian honeybees as last year but lots of other pollinators. I am making a list now for my seed order this year. I will also be sowing crimson clover in the pecan orchard - it's a nitrogen fixer so when it dies off, it will feed the pecan trees. Win - Win!

How can we wake people up to this approach?

flaflwrgrl said:We do what we can within the limitations life & circumstances put upon us.

Thank you.

We do what we can from where we are!

I've got to get more crimson clover for my lawn turned meadow.

Agree--it is so sad that people buy butterfly plants from stores where they use systemic pesticides thinking they are doing something good for the environment.

It SHOULD be illegal.
False advertising.

Agree--it is very deceptive.

crittergarden said:

How can we wake people up to this approach?

I hope some will be swayed by example. Other than that, just talking to them & telling them about this stuff. If they are bound & determined to "impress" everyone else (whoever that is) by having their place mowed to nubs every week, there is nothing we can do until & unless they decide to stop worrying about what others think.
My place looks rather unkempt right now but to me, it is beautiful b/c I have been out there in the hip high "weeds" & seen the critters there. Not something you can see when driving down the road though --- from there it just looks like overgrown mess I guess. But we've only been here just over a year. When more wildflowers grow, I hope people will "get the picture". Our county seeded roadsides some years ago & you should see it when the phlox & tickseed, helianthus & showy evening primrose (the pink one) are in bloom! Takes your breath away. They only mow after those have gone to seed. Saves the county money & makes a beautiful display. When the county came along mowing our easement; they left the big patches of blooming phlox in front of our place. Next year there will hopefully be more from the seeding I do this fall.

Cool.
They knew that phlox had an audience at your house!

I want the change to happen faster than I myself can manifest it.
If we have to wait for the completely ignorant to wake up, it will be too late.
It may already be too late.
Glad I don't have grandkids.

flaflwrgrl said:We don't mow our 6 acres. We just mow the path we use for a driveway & narrow pathways here & there where we often walk & directly around the house. We will mow the rest come the end of September so we can harvest the pecans. I see lots of pollinators out there in the non mowed areas; not nearly as many butterflies or Italian honeybees as last year but lots of other pollinators. I am making a list now for my seed order this year. I will also be sowing crimson clover in the pecan orchard - it's a nitrogen fixer so when it dies off, it will feed the pecan trees. Win - Win!

Plants? heck, I'm going to spend a fortune in wildflower seeds this year.

I would do the same if I had more space, Ann! I love meadows full of wildflowers--would much rather have that than huge expanses of empty lawn.

Bet yours is going to be beautiful!

Our front lawn is English Ivy.

jmorth said:Our front lawn is English Ivy.

I have seen English Ivy lawns J & they are breathtaking. I've also seen your back yard which is to die for. I bet you don't have any mowing to do.

I bet it is beautiful, J!

Give us a photo J!

Here are some photos of the roadsides here
Helianthus



Primrose



Liatris



Coreopsis & Phlox

THAT is a good roadside management team!

These are stunning, Ann! Beautiful!

Thank you, I'm somewhat proud they had the forethought to do that. I keep meaning to write the county a letter about that just so they don't think no one appreciates it. A side benefit is you don't see a single piece of litter being thrown out when the flowers are in bloom. In the dead of summer, when it's all bloomed out & they mow, THEN you will see people throwing litter on the roadsides. After the intense heat of summer lifts, we get more blooms until the first killing frost. I hope to one day have my property look 1/2 as good as that.

You just can't help but smile when you're driving along & see that.

Ann, that is seriously awesome! We live near the northern shore of Lake Michigan, and what we see when we drive along is basically invasive plants.

But our own property line is pretty long along the roadside, and while there are mainly just some "ditch plants" -- willows and such, growing along there, I'm sure I could plant some things that would be more interesting.

picturing myself as "Sandy Flowerseed" ! Why not?

A Sandy Flowerseed... I like that!

Yes, I was rather surprised b/c this area of Florida is not known to be "up with the times" to put it nicely but if you ask me, they sure beat south Florida out in this department! (And many others IMHO)

I've seen honeybees & bumble bees here getting nectar from my flowers mostly every year. I just got stung 3 times in one night by the bees.

I mostly notice them when I'm deadheading and/or watering the large section of containers at the end of our sunny driveway. There aren't as many honeybees at the flowers as the bumble bees, but I always smile and it warms my heart when I do see them.

I plant a lot of flowers that attract Hummingbirds, Butterflies and Bees every year (in the ground and containers). In the containers, I plant Salvias, Pentas, Zinnias, Agastaches, Porterweed, Cuphea, Petunia/Calibrachoas, Verbena, Penstemon, Lantana, & Fuchsias.

I've containers on our shady front porch, on the driveway, in the back yard and on the patio. Approx. 55 - 57 containers this year.

For years, we've had a lot of white clover growing in our yard (that I didn't plant). We didn't have it in the beginning, but it just appeared and grew. The wild rabbits and bees love it!

This is a very important topic.
I do my bit by sowing wildflowers.
I planned a hummingbird garden strip,but did not get it done.
Next year-?