Slow-Mow Summer

While there has been a lot of buzz around "No-Mow May," the typical turf grass lawn in Eden Prairie does not offer much protection or food for bees as they come out of hibernation, or throughout the year. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, it also can be very damaging to your lawn to let it grow long, and then cut it short right before the hottest and driest part of the year.

The University of Minnesota Bee Lab suggests not taking No-Mow May literally, and instead promoting plant diversity in your yard to create food and habitat for pollinators all year long. This can also lead to watering and mowing less often.

To best support bees and other pollinators, consider implementing the following best practices from Blue Thumb and the U of M Extension:

• Plant early blooming pollinator-friendly trees and shrubs
• Plant a native plant garden
• Create natural or man-made nests for pollinators
• Plant a bee lawn with high nutrition native species like self-heal
• Use low-input turf species like fine fescue in areas where you are retaining turf to reduce the need for watering and mowing

The U of M Bee Lab also has a great video explaining the rationale behind Slow-Mow Summer in lieu of No-Mow May.

Effective management of vegetation requires understanding the definitions and requirements outlined in City Code 9.71.

Garden
A cultivated area dedicated to growing vegetables, fruits, flowers, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, shrubs and similar plants that were planted in a well-defined location.

Native Plant Landscape Area
An area where native plants are being or have been planted in a designated area. A native plant landscape area does not include gardens.

Natural Area
A natural area is an area that was purposely left to grow in a natural state and can maintain itself in a stable condition without human intervention. Natural areas contain trees, shrubs and native plants, excluding weeds and turf grass areas that contain more than 50% turf grass.

Native Plants
Native plants are those grasses (including prairie grasses), sedges (solid, triangular-stemmed plants resembling grasses), forbs (flowering broadleaf plants), trees and shrubs that are species native to or naturalized to the state of Minnesota, excluding prohibited exotic species. Native plants do not include weeds.

Weeds
Weeds are noxious weeds defined in Minnesota Statutes, Sections 18.76-18.88. Weeds do not include dandelions or clover.

An owner or occupant of a lot or parcel of land in the City of Eden Prairie cannot have any vegetation growing over 10 inches in height.

Exemptions

• On steep slopes
• In natural areas
• In a defined garden
• In a scenic or conservation easement
• Within 50 feet of natural area
• In a flood plain
• Within a drainage pond or ditch
• In native plant landscape areas

Native Plant Landscape Area Guidelines

• Setback not less than 20 feet from the front lot line. Corner lots have two front yards.
• Setback not less than 5 feet from the side and/or rear lot lines. No setback is required on the side or rear lot if (1) there is a fully opaque fence at least 5 feet in height, or (2) the native plants abut a neighboring native plant landscape area.
• Native plant landscape is cut once annually between April 15 and July 15 to a height no greater than 10 inches.
• Turf grass is eliminated and the native plants, trees and shrubs are planted through transplanting or seed by humans or mechanical means.

The setback area required in the exemptions should be regularly mowed turf grass, garden beds, trees, shrubs, mulch, wood chips, rock and/or gravel.