Wondrous yards attract pollinators and reduce flash floods

We were delighted to learn of two progressive initiatives launched by the City of Cedar Rapids. Combined they will reduce flash flooding, promote wildlife, and add colorful beauty to our landscape.

New stormwater rates based on the size of a property's impervious surfaces bring fairness to stormwater funding while encouraging landowners to reduce runoff and fees by installing permeable paving, bioswales, and tall deep rooted vegetation. These techniques help rain soak into the ground where it falls rather than rushing through storm sewers to flood basements downstream,

The City's 1000 acre Pollinator Initiative, inspired by Clark McLeod, Cam Watts, and Becki Lynch, is equally innovative and related. They created the Monarch Research Project to reverse the decline of Monarch butterflies and other pollinators. The City will plant a diversity of flowering species on about 175 acres of its land each year until there will eventually be 1000 acres of habitat on public land.

Creating pollinator habitat does more than help insects. It also reduces flash flooding and its subsequent emotional and financial cost. Mowed lawns, especially those planted where the topsoil has been stripped off and subsoil compacted, is nearly as impervious as asphalt. Unlike lawns, native plantings soften the soil as their roots probe deeply into the earth. This enables soil to sequester rain that slowly recharges aquifers. Native plantings also create an abundance of colorful blooms that provide food and homes for beneficial insects. Curtailing mowing will save the City labor and fuel costs while reducing the need to expand storm sewers and helping pollinators.

We commend the City for taking these steps and encourage private property owners to follow suit. According to Money Magazine the average American homeowner spends 14 hours and $45 a week on lawns to grow Kentucky bluegrass, a species neither native to North America nor particularly well suited to our soil and climate. Sprayed lawns are monocultures that provide no pollinator habitat. Unable to absorb water well, lawn runoff carries pesticides and fertilizer off the property, through storm sewers and into rivers.

Lawns are part of our cultural heritage and have their place in the landscape. They make outstanding places to play. There are just too many of them and they are as ecologically deficient as cornfields. Ironically we see few homeowners playing on their lawns. The main human activity seems to be spraying, fertilizing, and mowing. We encourage people to think beyond lawns when managing even the smallest yard.

We've reduced our lawn by about half by planting areas once mowed areas with prairie wildflowers and grasses. They are gorgeous pollinator patches that soak up rain and don't need harsh chemicals, watering, or mowing. We never spray or fertilize our lawn and mow it as high as our machine allows. This encourages a diversity of plants to thrive and allows roots to grow deeper than when closely mowed. Plant diversity and deep roots encourages water to sink into the soil and buffers the lawn from drought.

One of our former lawns is now a colorful prairie into which we've created a labyrinth. Evenings often finds us in its relaxing embrace enjoying tranquillity and privacy amid blooms, butterflies and tall grasses. Visiting children love to race through the flowers and hide in the grass.

We enjoy our prairie for its grace and ecological heritage as well as its amazing ability to create topsoil, soak up rain, and host pollinators. Our trees, vegetable garden, pollinator patches and lawn make our yard a truly wondrous place vibrant with life and ecologically healthy.

Private landowners can bring beautiful wildlife to their yards, harvest rain, and reduce the cost of maintaining sterile lawns by devoting part of the yard to flowers and taller grasses. Fortunately, there's so much interest in creating pollinator patches that resources abound. Many workshops, presentations, and tours will take place this spring. Watch The Gazette for announcements or call the Master Gardener Hotline at (319) 447-0647 for information.

' Rich and Marion Patterson created Winding Pathways LLC in 2014 to encourage people to create and enjoy wondrous yards. More information: www.windingpathways.com