A lawn naturalization was on the agenda at Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting.

County councillors approved a draft grass and weeds by-law designed to support and regulate those who wish to grow vegetation on their property, besides grass species, for the sake of promoting biodiversity.

The motivation for the by-law follows from the example of other municipalities adopting similar lawn naturalization regimes, as well as case law recognizing Charter freedom of expression rights as extending to individual privately owned landscapes, according to the related staff report.

So far, the county’s draft by-law will include prohibitions on noxious weeds as set out in the provincial Noxious Weeds Act, prohibitions on other local invasive species, such as Glossy buckthorn and Himalayan balsam, and a 20-centimetre height restriction on turfgrass and other “weeds.”

Council voted to include amendments to the draft by including staff instructions to explore the prohibition of additional invasive species in yards, and the extension of the by-law to public lands after the 2024 municipal budgeting process.

No-Mow May is a voluntary initiative slated to begin this May that will help nesting species-at-risk and pollinators thrive.

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