No Mow May

No Mow May helps pollinators by allowing early season flowers to grow in our lawns, parks and green spaces. This allows more bees and beneficial bugs to find food and take shelter in the shady grass without mower blades chopping up their habitat.

While regular maintenance will resume in June, the City will let strategic zones in the following areas grow naturally during the month of May:

• Parks: 
  • Devon Park
  • Prince Albert Park
  • King George Park
  • Queen Elizabeth Gardens
  • Stayner Park
  • Westmount Athletic Grounds (WAG)
• Green spaces:
  • Dorchester and Sainte-Catherine
  • Metcalfe and Côte-Saint-Antoine
  • Clarke and The Boulevard
  • the old train station ( Victoria and Sainte-Catherine )

Residents are encouraged to follow the City's lead and not mow their lawns! Let your grass grow, as well as the flowers we sometimes refer to as weeds, like dandelions and white clover. There are several ways to support pollinators during the month of May and throughout the warm season:

• Mow your lawn less frequently.
• Leave grass clippings to add natural nutrients back into the soil.
• Raise the height of your mower blades to 4” to protect insect habitats.
• Plant native perennials or white clover instead of grass for a more eco-responsible lawn.

In a time when bee populations are on the decline, studies show that homes that don't mow in May have three times more bee species and five times more bees compared to yards that are mowed. This is important as bees are essential to the reproductive process of many fruits, flowers and plants... including much of the food we eat! These small changes in lawn care can also help reduce the amount of water needed to keep lawns lush during heat spells. It’s a win-win!