Going Native: No Mow May & Leave the Leaves with Dominique Biondi of Ecologic

Going Native is our gardening series highlighting the contribution of native plants to building resilient landscapes. MyRye.com will introduce you to native plant experts that will tell you ways to get started with a small garden patch, a complete property or just a few garden containers.

Today we speak with Dominique Biondi of Ecologic.

MyRye.com: What are “No Mow May” and “Leave the Leaves”? Are these important, why and do you have a particular version of each one that works for you?

Biondi: There are many movements and strategies that bring awareness to certain environmental issues and practices with the hope of helping out. Sometimes good intentions can lead to unfavorable outcomes. It is tricky to state if one is “good” or “bad,” per se, because it is more of how they are implemented that matters.

For example, No Mow May is the trend where you do not mow during that month, to assist the hungry pollinators who are starting their new year. This is fine in theory, and we do want to help them by not mowing down early flower food sources or their nests. 

However, many Westchester homeowners have invasive species growing in their yards, and by not mowing those, they can quickly overtake any native plant in that patch. So, if you mow, then all of the food flowers are gone. If you do not mow, then the stronger invasives get a major uphand. See the dilemma?

What would be better would be to weed/mow the worst offenders (mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), lesser celandine (Ficaria verna, previously Ranunculus ficaria L.), give a temporary pass to the lesser offenders who offer a small bit of food (dandelions), and protect the native early flowers (spring beauties, violets).

Also read: Going Native: Gardening with Ecologic’s Dominique Biondi and our Going Native series.