Like many homeowners who enjoy not mowing their lawn, “No Mow May” was a breath of relief for me. But all good things come to an end. As me and my trusty gas-guzzling grass grinder faced down the veritable savannah of grasses before us, I came to terms with how truly out of hand it had gotten. “There has to be a better way,” I thought. And don’t tell me to mow another time so the grass is shorter.

And so began one of my bottomless-pit research holes. If No Mow May is really to help out pollinating animals, maybe it’s time to take it a step further. That turf grass isn’t doing me (or my knees) any favors. But a curated lawn-wide garden of native grasses will. By this time next year, I’m hoping to play host to a wide array of groundcovers and flowering native plants. Although, of course, the digging and resodding will be far more work (sorry knees) than a few extra mowing sessions.

But again, this is for the pollinators. And not just because I don’t like mowing the lawn. OK, maybe it’s more like 60/40.