Millions of Wildflowers Now Delight the Communtiy Where Vermont Couple Used to Spend All Day Mowing Grass

[Michie]

From a small Vermont countryside community comes the story of two Long Islanders who ditched mowing their massive lawn and planted wildflowers instead—delighting the neighbors, birds, bees, and butterflies.

They’ve steadily grown their wildflower meadow to 2-1/2 acres, which has become so popular that it’s inspired others nearby to do the same.

Jonathan Yacko and Natalie Gilliard started their makeover during the pandemic when Gilliard lost her job and Yacko’s hours were cut. He still worked remotely for the same company he had when they lived on Long Island, and told the Washington Post that their 5-acre property in Chittenden used to boast a sea of grass that required a whole day to mow and trim.

Wanting to do something different, they explained their predicament of exhaustive mowing to a local whom they had befriended who just so happened to work for a company called American Meadows.

It would cost a couple hundred dollars and require a fair amount of initial work, but the friend suggested they plant a wildflower meadow that would grow on its own ever afterward.

Continued below.

Millions of Wildflowers Now Delight the Communtiy Where Vermont Couple Used to Spend All Day Mowing Grass

First came 'baby's breath' then came red and yellow poppies, pink catchfly, bright orange sulphur cosmos, red columbine, and foxglove.

www.goodnewsnetwork.org

 

[Michie]

As someone that planted a wildflower meadow here, I just want to clarify that reseeding is often required every 2 years or so. Otherwise, it is very easy to lose your plants to the growth of weeds, etc. that can overtake your wildflowers. We take a lot of family pictures in our meadow.