I happen to share a birthday with Sir David Attenborough. He recently celebrated his 100th. I’m not quite there yet, but I have been inspired for many years by his work. Sir David would want us to know it is our shared responsibility to protect the natural world around us. In Attenborough’s words, “The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water, and air. It is the most precious thing we have, and we need to defend it.”
We are fortunate to live in the Wimberley Valley, as we watch neighboring towns become almost unrecognizable with expansive growth. With this privilege comes a responsibility to care for our property with the future in mind. The title of this article is borrowed from a challenge issued by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. With less frequent lawn mowing your yard or acreage can become a habitat supporting pollinators and conserving water. Imagine this right outside your front door! The small change of encouraging a single patch of native grass or wildflowers is a great way to start.
The Wildflower Center website list five specific aims to “slow your mow and let wild things grow:”
-The average riding mower emits the same amount of pollution as 34 cars.
-Minimize mowing by adding a new native plant bed or expanding an existing one.
-Rely on native groundcover such as horseherb (calyptocarpus vialis) in place of traditional lawn grasses.
-For a play lawn try a turf grass mix of low growing native grasses.
-Start small with just a patch of unmowed lawn and see what grows.
To get started you can find many helpful ideas at the Native Plant Society of Texas website (npsot.org) or the Wildflower Center (wildflower.org).
To turn once more to Sir David, “It’s surely our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth.”
