Easy Meadow – Turning Useless Lawns into Meadows in Housing Cooperatives

FAQ: How to convince your neighbour

1. Why? → There are many benefits to an Easy Meadow. First of all, flowers and butterflies are much nicer to look at than grass scorched in the sun. As maintenance is reduced, less carbon is emitted, and it saves some trouble and money. The meadow alleviates the food and housing issues that bees and other little neighbours face in urban areas. An Easy Meadow thus helps both the climate and biodiversity.
2. But this may help ticks, too! → You should establish the Easy Meadow in a place that’s not used much for walking, sunbathing, playing ball games and the like. On a large lawn one could start with converting the least used areas. Another possible approach would be to make paths in the middle of the meadow, or even a space to hang out. Also, even a mown lawn can have ticks on it, so regular tick inspections are a good idea regardless of how the courtyard is managed.
3. Does a meadow attract wasps? → The meadow may attract wasps, but in a way that’s part of the idea – wasps are pollinators, too! They also feed their larvae with pest insects. The meadow shouldn’t be established right next to a children’s play area or under balconies. Parents are responsible for making sure their kids play safely and don’t disturb wasps if there are some. A single sting is rarely dangerous.
4. What about weeds? → Many plants that are often labeled weeds, such as dandelions, are actually quite pretty, and also very helpful to pollinators and the rest of the ecosystem. They deserve a rehabilitation! In case the emerging meadow starts to look unpleasant to your eye and you start to regret the whole thing, you can either restore the lawn by just mowing more often again, or then establish a “proper” meadow where you can choose the species yourself.
5. Does it look untidy? → Well, it’s a matter of taste. But we encourage you to contemplate on where the need for a tidy and short-trimmed lawn arises from, unless the area has such use that requires a short lawn. The natural beauty of blooming flowers and butterflies can be aesthetically at least as pleasant a sight!
6. But surely it’s expensive and laborious! → Easy meadows are both easy and cheap. On many lawns, it’s enough to let the grass grow and see what comes up. This saves work and money compared to the maintenance of a lawn. On the other hand, if there aren’t any flowering species on the spot, establishing a new, “proper” meadow requires some more work and money. Even so, once it’s there, it’s a cheap and easy solution for your courtyard.
7. We don’t have any room for this! → An easy meadow can be established on even a very small strip of grass, or the bank of a ditch. Even a few square meters of wildflowers are helpful for pollinators.
8. What’s a useless lawn? → A useless lawn is a patch of managed lawn that doesn’t have any proper use as a lawn. If it’s not used for walking, hanging out or playing, it’s better to turn it into an easy meadow. Such spots where grass doesn’t really flourish or requires a lot of work, like dry, sandy or infertile soils, are particularly good for this, and might be a much better habitat for meadow flowers.
9. I’m convinced! When is my meadow ready? → This depends on the place and what’s already there. If many flowering species are present to begin with, a nice meadow can emerge the very first summer. Typically the variety of species develops over the years, and in some places it may take a few years before it starts to get more diverse.