This Vermont couple isn’t wild about cutting, but they are about flowers.
Jonathan Yacko, 36, and Natalie Gilliard, 34, of Chittenden, were tired of taking all day to mow their 5.5-acre property, so they decided to turn the lawn into a wildflower meadow — much to the delight of locals who were mesmerized by the stunning landscape.
“It’s going to take a solid day to cut and trim everything,” Yacko told the Washington Post. “We knew there had to be something better we could be doing than maintaining the grass.”
Before moving to New England, the Long Island native didn’t need to do much landscaping, except to tend to a few boxwood shrubs and a small patch of grass.
But after a conversation with their new neighbor, Hadley Mueller, who happened to work with American Meadows – a Vermont-based seed company – the couple took her advice and decided to plant a stunning wildflower meadow.
“I think they have the perfect place for a beautiful meadow,” Mueller told the Washington Post.
Gilliard agreed, telling WBUR: “Honestly, it’s kind of sad to see this sea of grass. I’ve always loved bees and we were like let’s do it; we are on board.”
Jonathan Yacko and Natalie Gilliard grew tired of taking all day to mow their 5.5-acre property in Vermont, so they planted a beautiful meadow. Nina Keck/Facebook
The couple, who moved to Vermont in 2019, started tearing up their lawn during the outbreak, picking up all the rocks and digging up the grass to plant all the seeds.
A seed of doubt lingered in the couple’s mind, wondering if their array of wildflowers would emerge from the ground, but their excitement grew as the plants began to appear.
“We would look out the window and say: ‘They are coming! Flowers are coming!’” Gilliard told WBUR.
First the baby’s breath came in spring 2021, blooming in beautiful white, then came various colors – red and yellow poppies, orange cosmos and purple foxgloves, among others.
After a conversation with their new neighbor, Hadley Mueller, who happened to work with American Meadows – a Vermont-based seed company – the couple took her advice and decided to plant a stunning meadow. Nina Keck/Facebook
The couple, who moved to Vermont in 2019, started tearing up their lawn during the pandemic, picking up all the rocks and digging up the grass to plant all the seeds. Nina Keck/Facebook
This summer, the couple expanded their lawn and planted more flowers, adding blue forget-me-nots and yellow coreopsis – totaling 27 types of flowers.
“And what’s really interesting is that every few weeks the grassland looks completely different,” Yacho, an engineer, told WBUR. “You don’t know exactly what’s going to happen or when it’s going to show up and that’s part of the magic.”
As their meadow magically blossomed, people began to stop by. They brought down bouquets they made from the meadow, as well as baked goods, and left notes for them to read. People even stop Gilliard at the store to say they love driving past his pasture.
“Grassland becomes a wonderful way to develop new friendships and feel like we belong and are part of a community,” Gilliard, a special education teacher, told the Washington Post.
“Many people drove by during the outbreak and told us the flowers cheered them up and gave them a boost.”
They have also inspired others to ditch the mowers and enjoy the field of beauty, including their neighbors.
“It sure beats the grass,” said their neighbor.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
