Welcome to May! Why not do something a little bit different this year in your garden and join the wave of gardeners who leave their lawnmowers untouched through May and let their green space ‘do its own thing’!
While well-maintained and cut back lawns are a treat and a picture-perfect base for the rest of our gardening efforts, allowing them to instead grow unruly has many benefits, so many in fact, that wild plant conservation charity Plantlife launched the ‘No Mow May’ campaign.
Leave your grass to grow to see an eruption of wildflowers on your unmown haven.
The Bees Will Thank You for It!
Your garden plays a massive role in supporting the world’s pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and moths. These crucial insects face many threats, including habitat loss – so up steps ‘No Mow May,’ providing a much-needed boost to their dwindling resources.
By allowing the lawn to flourish naturally in May, you’ll encourage wildflowers brimming with nectar to grow, a delicious and essential food source for vital pollinators.
Leaving your lawn uncut also allows a wider variety of plants to thrive, creating a more diverse ecosystem on your land. This diversity attracts a wider range of insects, birds, and even small mammals, transforming your lawn into a bustling haven for wildlife.
Create a Vibrant Tapestry of Wildflowers
Many may fear they’ll face a mess of weeds by leaving their lawn alone, rather than the beautiful rainbow of wildflowers alluded to above. Do not fret, as there are some steps you can take to avoid this!
You may have some specific wildflower varieties in mind that you’d like to see in your garden, such as foxgloves, daises, or poppies. You can encourage exact varieties, rather than joining the wildflower lottery, by scattering wildflower-specific seeds on the lawn from late April to early May.
While the exact wildflowers you’ll grow depends on your garden’s location and existing flora, there are some varieties that are more common than others. White and yellow daisies regularly show their cheery heads, Dandelions, while seen by many as weeds, are an excellent source of early nectar, spring primroses are beautiful, emerging in a variety of colours, while yellow-flowering Celandine are a welcome sight to bees and butterflies.
If your lawn is established, consider lightly scarifying the surface with a rake to remove dead thatch from beneath the grass blades, creating pockets for the wildflower seeds to germinate.
In the months leading up to May, cut down on how often you mow the lawn to help those wildflowers already present to establish. This suggestion may be slightly late for this year’s efforts but keep it in mind for ‘No Mow May’ 2025!
Feeling Inspired By ‘No Mow May?’
Taking part in this campaign can feel incredibly rewarding, it may even inspire you to take on a more pro-active stance to ensure your garden is friendly for pollinators through the year, not just in May!
Incorporate some long-term practices into your regular garden maintenance routine. For example, when mowing your lawn during the rest of the year, you could leave a dedicated section alone that is allowed to grow without being cut.
So, are you giving ‘No Mow May’ a go this year? Share your progress with us on Facebook here!
