Chicagoans wait until Mother’s Day to mow, hoping to help imperiled bees

The lawn in front of Annette Peterson’s Riverside bungalow stands maybe 2 inches higher than the standard emerald buzz-cut.

Look closely and you can see low-lying wildflowers — yellow, violet and lavender — hiding in the lush grasses.

Still, there’s little to suggest that Peterson is participating in No Mow May, a national conservation initiative that encourages homeowners to aid struggling pollinators, including bees, by forsaking the lawnmower until June 1.

Four years after No Mow May arrived in the United States...