Going Wild

Introduction

I don’t know if it’s my age or just the area I live in or a growing concern for nature and the natural world being attacked and decimated in the name of money.

This year and possibly previous years there was a #NoMowMay movement and I joined in and let my lawn grow, allowing for the first time weeds, buttercups and dandelions free rein of my lawn. In previous years my lawn has had brown patches of dead grass despite my putting on lawn feed to help the texture improve.

This year the lawn has been fine, no lawn feed, and despite dry periods it is looking very healthy, it won't win any prizes but I think the bees and birds like it, so it means I have changed my perspective on how I maintain my garden.

Wild Gardens

On my walks, I have noticed a lot of gardens filled with buttercups and dandelions, nettles and thistles and lots of plants I considered weeds but I am starting to really appreciate these wild gardens,

I know a lot of these plants are beneficial to bees and bees are a major reason why we are still alive on this earth and able to keep eating, despite governments trying to kill bees with pesticides. Talk about killing the goose that lays the golden egg, without bees nothing would actually grow. Well, no doubt they may come up with some kind of mechanical way to replace what the bees do, but that is a lot of work to essentially reinvent the perfectly functioning wheel.

Seeing these gardens full of purple thistles, yellow dandelions and buttercups or white dandelion clocks does bring me great joy and makes me feel glad to be alive. I do appreciate well-kept gardens and plants and know that dandelions do spread like hell but they are fairly simple to cut down if you don't want them in your garden, and they are really beneficial to bees. Also, all the dandelions can be used as food, so dandelions in your garden can be beneficial.

On The Roadside

Many local authorities are now letting wildflowers take over the roadside verges, this is beneficial for the environment and for bees and actually reduces the maintenance as these areas used to be always mowed. They now provide colour, shelter for wildlife and even more places for bees to spread their pollination as well as produce honey.

Street Fruit and Guerilla Gardening

Near to where I live is Fenham Pocket Park and in this tiny park are a couple of apple trees. I have made the assumption that anyone can pick the apples as long as some are left for others so I have helped myself to a few.

Throughout the world, there are people who spread flowers and plant seeds on the roadside and also plant and grow fruit trees. It shows how mercenary our society has become when people’s first reaction is that people might just take the fruit. That is the point. Guys like Ron Finley do that.

Actually, this Youtube search has lots of videos on the subject. Fruit trees will grow and the fruit is for everybody.

Conclusion

Going wild is the definite way to go for me. It is not for everybody, some people need their manicured lawns and perfect flower beds and they are very pretty to see.

Take your time and decide which option is best for you. There is great beauty and benefits to nature in all forms of spreading wild and cultivated flowers.