Mowing the lawn is a tiring task – you build up a sweat, and the itchy cut grass can be a sensory nightmare. Luckily there’s a guilt-free way to ignore this chore for the entirety of the month of May. Not only are you conserving your energy, but you’re helping to conserve the UK’s native plants and insects.
No Mow May is an environmental campaign that encourages people to refrain from mowing their lawns during the month of May. The goal is to allow wildflowers and other native plants to grow freely, which in turn provides vital early-season food and shelter for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and other insects emerging from winter.
Helen Nyul, Group Head of Biodiversity at David Wilson Homes, is urging homeowners to put away their lawnmowers this May in a bid to protect garden pollinators and plant life.
She said: “Unfortunately, the UK has lost 97 percent of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s, equal to the size of 7.5 million acres – that’s an area roughly one and a half times the size of Wales. However, the UK is home to over 20 million gardens, which can all be used to help reverse this decline.
“‘No Mow May’ helps to replace some of that loss by allowing wildflowers such as daisies, clover, and buttercups to grow in your lawn.
“The concept is simple. Don’t mow your lawn throughout May to let the grass grow out, allowing any lawn flowers and weeds to bloom. Not only does this save you some time, but these lawn flowers, alongside the longer lawn grasses, provide nectar and habitats for pollinators.”
By ignoring your garden this month, you allow the grass to grow long which helps insects and plants to thrive. Helen said: “Patches of long grass also encourage different plant species to grow, help insects such as beetles and butterflies to thrive, and create feeding opportunities for birds and small mammals.
“Butterfly numbers in the UK dropped to their fifth lowest on record last year, with 31 of 59 species having had their numbers fall since 1976, when monitoring began.”
If the idea of an unkempt law fills you with anxiety, don’t fret. You can keep your garden tidy and also help out the wildlife by just choosing a small patch to grow wild.
Helen said: “This can sometimes be a more practical option for families, as it still provides a space for the children to play outside and enjoy the garden.
“Even a small, untouched patch of wildflowers and long grass can create a valuable mini meadow for wildlife and pollinators, from bees to butterflies.
“For example, if all 20 million gardens in the UK had a wildflower space of two metres squared, that would add up to over five thousand football pitches.”
