No-mow May

Today marks the end of no-mow May on this little patch in front of our house. For the first time this year, the council have sent their mower along to tame the long grass and the buttercups that the boys have had such fun playing in. A lot of the older neighbours who keep their gardens nice have been a bit fed up that this wilderness has been allowed to flourish through neglect so it'll be nice for them to see it looking spick and span, especially if they are stuck at home with just the view from their windows as their only bit of greenery.

From this.....

....to this

The reaction of the boys to the mower arriving has been of interest. The baby was absolutely fascinated by the noise and movement and enjoyed waving to the driver as she scooted around. My middle son, who found out he was allergic to the grass after running through it and hiding in it for half an hour, had mixed emotions to seeing it go. And the eldest retreated to his bed to mourn his much-loved play area.

We can see this trivial transformation as either a negative or a positive or both. With the loss of one play area comes the appearance of another. A chance for me to tell the boys how much fun we used to have on the school field after it had been mowed by the farmer, making dens and having grass fights. The delicious smell of freshly cut lawn filling the air. A link with an old book about a house of hay that my mum has been reading to them over video call. An excuse for the broom to come out to sweep all the clippings off the path. And finally, a flat, level spot where we can set our big trampoline while we get our back garden turfed.

My other home ed plans for today have been shelved in favour of finding the fun in the world around us. A moment to enjoy together, transforming a day like any other into something a bit more special.https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/about-us/news/no-mow-may-how-to-get-ten-times-more-bees-on-your-lockdown-lawn