“I’d like to stop mowing” — but how, for best results?

Hello, I live on a corner lot in Chesterland and have a lot of lawn that I would like to stop mowing. If I wanted that property to look like Orchard Hills Park, would it just be enough to stop mowing? Or would I have to plant as well. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you so much!

While not mowing your yard will give you some wildflowers, you will also get a lot of undesirable plants as well. We would recommend you start with a section where you plant meadow plants, and put down mulch or other weed block to prevent weeds from growing in. These areas could be expanded as you go along from year to year, and also the mulch will not be needed once your plants are established.

-Naturalist Denise Wolfe