At one time, I abhorred even the word.

Our lawn is chemical-free so has always sported many. I’d spend hours on my butt, hand “weeding,” to then learn they were beneficial to our early emerging (from winter naps) bees — not a perfect food source, but since we plant so few native trees and plants, often the only available nutrition.

Imagine how far a bee has to fly to find nutrition. It’s exhausting and often fruitless.

Previously, my idea of a healthy yard was a lush lawn. These days, unless seeing them support dandelions or perhaps clover, view them as an eco-desert.

Lawns provide no nutrition, costing in time, energy and dollars. They are shallow-rooted so do not help mitigate flooding and are non-native and lacking in value except our slanted view of what is healthy.

At least dandelions, unlike turf grass provide something to nature.

Also, if you’re spraying dandelions, please re-consider. You not only remove a valuable food source, (rabbits eat them as well), but outright kill bees. Insects are in major decline, but a critical piece of our eco-system and biodiversity.

For our planet’s future, we must pay more heed to the creatures we share it with. Less chemicals and way more native plants and trees – for our air and our wildlife.

Net Ridley, Colchester

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