Stop Mowing in May—And Watch Your Garden Transform

Sometimes the best thing you can do for nature is absolutely nothing. In England, that’s exactly what’s happening with No Mow May—a simple concept that’s yielding surprisingly powerful results. By simply putting the mower away for one month, gardeners are watching their yards come alive with wildflowers, insects, and life they didn’t know was waiting beneath the grass.

The appeal is obvious once you think about it. When you let your lawn grow untouched, wildflowers get breathing room. Dandelions that would normally get beheaded by the first mow suddenly have a chance to flourish. Bees and other pollinators show up in force. One gardener told the press about the experience with infectious enthusiasm:“The more [the garden grows], the more addicted I get to it. I just like to see what comes up.”There’s something genuinely thrilling about surrendering control and letting nature surprise you—even in a suburban garden.

What makes No Mow May so elegant is its simplicity. It’s not asking you to tear out your lawn, install native plantings, or spend a dime. Just hit pause. For one month. And the results speak for themselves: pockets of grassland emerge, biodiversity bounces back, and people get reconnected with the idea that lawns don’t have to be sterile, manicured monocultures. The real hope, as Editorial Director Rebecca Worby noted, is that other places pick this up—and then keep going all year.

Meanwhile, on the policy front, New York state is proving that smart family leave laws actually work. Thanks to New York’s paid family leave law, more birthing parents are now taking postpartum leave without the fear of going broke or losing their job. Data from the city’s health department shows real progress. Parents faced fewer barriers—financial hardship and job insecurity are no longer keeping them from time with their newborns.

But here’s where it gets complicated. While the law is delivering for some, disparities remain. Lower-income residents on Medicaid are still less likely to take paid leave than those with private insurance. Racial disparities persist too, with white and Asian or Pacific Islander parents most likely to use the benefit. The takeaway is bittersweet: good policy works, but it only matters if everyone can actually access it.

These stories—from lawns to leave policies—point to something worth thinking about. Sometimes the most powerful changes come from simply stepping back and letting things happen naturally. Other times, they require bold policy that actually gets enforced fairly across the board. What all of them share is this: small shifts, thoughtfully made, can reshape what’s possible.