Less watering, more biodiversity — councillor Riazhskykh called for the creation of «climate-friendly lawns» in Mykolaiv
- Alina KvitkoReporter
A proposal has been put forward in Mykolaiv to introduce ‘climate-friendly lawns’ instead of traditional ones. Photo: NikVesti archiveAlla Riazhskykh, a member of the Mykolaiv Regional Council representing the ‘European Solidarity’ party, has proposed creating climate-friendly lawns in Mykolaiv — areas planted with wild grasses and flowers that require less watering and maintenance, and which also help to preserve biodiversity.
She spoke about this on the «MART» television channel.
According to Alla Riazhskikh, she discussed the idea of such lawns with experts from the «Mykolaiv Parks» municipal enterprise as far back as 2023. It was also proposed to involve experts from Mykolaiv National Agrarian University, which has a Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, in developing the concept.
She emphasised that traditional lawns, which require constant mowing and watering, are expensive to maintain and ill-suited to the climatic conditions of southern Ukraine.
«It’s expensive. It’s not feasible in our climate. It requires a lot of water and a lot of fuel. Climate-adapted lawns are the alternative,» she said.
In her view, such plantings will help to save water, reduce dust levels in the city, cut fuel costs for mowing and support pollinating insects.
The councillor also noted that, with the right mix of plants, such lawns can suppress weeds, particularly ragweed.
«If the mix of grasses and wildflowers is chosen correctly, they will crowd out weeds, ragweed and other unwanted plants,» said Alla Riazhskykh.
According to Alla Riazhskykh, there are already some examples of such plantings in Mykolaiv, and the city’s municipal services can draw on the expertise of scientists and landscaping specialists to implement pilot projects.
In the councillor’s view, they could start with individual areas in city parks, without planting such lawns near footpaths.
«Don’t do this near footpaths; do it in parks. If approached sensibly and with an eye for aesthetics, it will look beautiful and conserve water, fuel and biodiversity,» she said.
As a reminder, on 3rd Slobidska Street in Mykolaiv, members of the «Young Ecologists» club, together with specialists from the Mykolaiv branch of the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine, created an experimental plot with perennial wild grasses. They planted steppe plants, cornflowers and phacelia there to test which species best withstand heat, drought and urban conditions without regular watering. The project’s organisers are investigating whether such plantings could serve as an alternative to traditional lawns in the city.
Schoolchildren are testing a perennial lawn of steppe plants in the centre of Mykolaiv. Photo: Inna Tymchenko
Schoolchildren are testing a perennial lawn of steppe plants in the centre of Mykolaiv. Photo: Inna TymchenkoThe idea of mixed-grass lawns is not new in Europe. In many cities, some conventional lawns are being replaced by so-called urban meadows — areas where the grass is mown much less frequently or not at all. Such areas help to maintain biodiversity, are more drought-tolerant and provide a habitat for bees, butterflies and other insects.
Earlier, Dmytro Chuchmai, director of the municipal enterprise «Mykolaiv Parks», stated that there were no plans to plant new flowers in the «Heart of the City» square where tulips had bloomed in the spring. At the same time, it was previously reported that «Mykolaiv Parks» plans to grow flowers in its own greenhouses and subsequently plant them in the city’s flowerbeds. This idea was inspired by the experience of other cities, notably Kremenchuk.
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