Leave the lawn mower in the shed this May, give yourself a break and give pollinators a helping hand.
First launched in 2019 by the botanical charity Plantlife, No Mow May is a campaign that encourages gardeners to not mow their lawn during the month of May, in order to let wild flowers bloom and provide a nectar feast for pollinators such as honeybees, bumblebees and solitary bees, butterflies and moths, and beetles.
A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground – and best of all, to reap these benefits all you have to do is not mow your lawn in May. You don’t actually have to completely stop mowing in May, or avoid mowing all of your lawn, particularly if you do need to have shorter grass in places. The aim of No Mow May campaign is to encourage people to change up their mowing regime – mowing less, and leaving patches of long grass in places if possible.
The best nectar producing lawn plants include red & white clover, common daisy, self-heal, ox-eye daisy, germander and speedwell.
Reducing the mowing regime of your lawn increases the floral biodiversity and allows the plants the time they need to produce their nectar and pollen rich flowers.
