- Another look at (and more reasons to) let the grass grow at your place.

When letting nature take its course can be the most satisfying plan of action in the garden.

The alpacas and the sheep help to keep some of it under control and when the cattle are grazing here, they mow the meadows, but the rest is left in a natural state. Where the cattle no longer graze and around the edges of the garden, the grass is long and I like it that way. You may think I’m lazy, but we are providing a habitat (or really just not destroying the habitat) for many little critters.

We are lucky to have many native and endemic bugs and lizards, but some of them are becoming endangered. By mowing our lawns to within an inch of their lives, or spraying them with chemicals to keep them free of weeds, we are doing biodiversity a huge disservice.

I have been taking notice of what is growing in the areas where we haven’t mowed. Some places are dominated by thick grass; others have a range of wild plants growing amongst the grasses. We have a lot of buttercup here, so that is prominent, but there is also a significant amount of dock, yarrow, red clover and plantain. Other plants are making an appearance too, including shepherd’s purse, dandelion, scrambling fumitory and chickweed. I notice that things I grow in my garden are also present – nasturtium, forgetme-not, even chard and dill.

The December flood deposited a huge amount of weeds – black nightshade and ink weed – and these have taken over some areas, so I would need to do some work to get rid of these before much else will grow there.

Your particular circumstances – soil fertility, pH, plant dominance – will determine what grows.

It can be scary making a change like this, especially when we have always been told that weeds are our enemies and we don’t want them invading our gardens.

Doing a trial can be a good way to see if this is going to work for you. Choose a small area and leave it to do its thing, while taking note of what is growing there. Or you could try letting your grass grow a bit longer than usual, or mow at different heights in different areas. Depending on what you want and how you want it to look, you may have to do ongoing maintenance.

Of course there are people who don’t like the look of long grass, or who want lawn for different reasons, and there are other considerations to be aware of, such as fire risk. If you live in a drought prone area, it is best to keep grass down around your house, for instance. An alternative is to plant low growing species that are suitable for lawn substitutes. Trees For Canterbury has a list of suitable plants on its website. These are likely to require more maintenance than a meadow, but can provide a wonderful habitat for critters. Another idea, which is becoming more common here and around the world, is using the berm outside your house to plant gardens or create habitats for our wonderful and necessary pollinators. Christchurch City Council maintains a no-spray list for those who want to take charge of their own frontage.

Around the peninsula, the city council sprays the roadside so that drivers can see the markers. In some places on the roads you can see why this might be necessary, where there are deep ditches for example. At present they use chemical controls. If you choose to go on the no-spray list, the council places orange markers at each end of your boundary so that the contractor knows not to spray between them.

It does come with responsibilities. You need to keep the road markers clear of grass and weeds yourself. I use a hand tool to cut the weeds if they get too high.

Hugh Wilson, kaitiaki of Hinewai Reserve on Banks Peninsula, mows the lawn around his house, but where it is left unmown, you can see many species of plants. He says there is a succession with the grasses at Hinewai which finally give way to bracken then native species.

I also keep in mind that by cutting grass, we are not only using fossil fuels (unless you use a push mower), but also releasing greenhouse gasses. Add to that the amount spent on mowing by councils and individuals (one study found that Aucklanders spend $131 million each year on lawn mowing), and it seems a little daft.

There is a growing movement around the motu and the world that advocates the tempting idea of leaving gardens unmown. There is some interesting reading about this. RNZ recorded an episode of Our Changing World, which refers to, among other things, a trial done in The Auckland Botanic Gardens. In Christchurch, part of the red zone is also being left unmown.

Maybe one day, having wild areas instead of lawns will be the norm. We just need to get over the feeling that we are being lazy.

The lawn in front of the house gets mown to keep up appearances, but once you go around the back, it’s a different story.