Comments on: No Mow

By: Planting No-Mow « The Middlebury Landscape

Planting No-Mow « The Middlebury Landscape — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:25:32 +0000

[...] the previous N0-Mow post, I wrote about the expense of planting the areas to native wildflowers, and how we’d hoped to [...]

By: Sara Mattison

Sara Mattison — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 20:27:47 +0000

I think it is a wonderful idea! I have always felt there was too much mowed lawn, but what would anyone really DO about it? Kudos to you!

By: Andy

Andy — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 04:13:21 +0000

bocce. hahaahahahahahahahaha

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:11:59 +0000

What a great idea, and the results are so pretty, too. Way to go, Middlebury! I’m very proud of you.

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:24:46 +0000

As an alumnus who misses Middlebury and its rural setting, I think the meadow look is a great addition to the campus. Its seems to tie the campus in with the surrounding campus while also forcing visitors to reconsider the monotonous and artificial aesthetic of a close cropped green carpet. I would support seeding the new meadow areas with natural wildflowers that can grow among the grass.

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:11:26 +0000

I’m curious to see if your maintenance plan succeeds in weeding out non-native species but I’m doubtful. Having to exercise adaptive management in a year or two by planting native species from seed, plugs or pots should not be considered a failure but as a worthy experiment. Plant palettes should be considered with year round color to satisfy the unaccustomed eye that initially perceives clutter. Catchy signage like “Wildflowers in Progress” that identify selected species will help gain acceptance. For larger contiguous areas, rare and beautiful ground nesting birds can be accommodated with a modified mowing schedule. Good luck! – PW ’99

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:53:32 +0000

I am glad to see the college taking another concrete steps towards living up to it’s reputation as an environmental leader. I always felt that all the perfectly manicured lawns were kind-of overkill, and clearly costly for such a large campus. I don’t think there’s ever been a shortage of space for students to hang out on or play bocci so I really don’t see this as infringing on anyone. Personally, I like the idea of making the campus feel a little more natural by letting wildflowers grown back. Good decision!

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:38:58 +0000

I love this idea, and it’s something I’ve been mulling for my own (much, much, much smaller!) property. I particularly appreciate the info about the timing of your twice-yearly mowing and how that affects which plants dominate.

What equipment do you use for that twice-yearly mowing of the meadow areas?

By: Danny Choi

Danny Choi — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:55:57 +0000

As an alternative to “No Mow”, how about “Healthy Heaths” or “The Heath Project” the “Wild-Flower Project”? Cheers, DXC.

By: carlcaroll

carlcaroll — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:51:12 +0000

I would advise to use plants that are native to the area and plants that are mature with low maintenance. First, native plants tend to last longer and they usually need little maintenance. Second, mature plants tend to also require a lot less maintenance. When figuring what to do, it is important to think how much it is going to cost AND what it the replacement cost, the maintenance cost and how often it will need to be replaced or taken care of.