Hello,

In the May section of our book we write about the seasonal topics of springtime, planting and bees, while later in the book we suggest leaving some gardening tasks undone to help wildlife flourish. All of which leads nicely on to telling you about the campaign run in the UK by the charity Plantlife, called ‘No mow May’.

no mow may

As the name suggests, the campaign simply encourages gardeners to let the weeds and wild flowers grow on their lawns to provide nectar for insects, bees and butterflies to feed upon.

As Ian Dunn, the CEO of Planlife puts it, if we can “embrace a little wildness” in our gardens, the benefits to insects are huge, with an average-sized lawn being able to feed around six bumblebees per day if left uncut.

By the end of May, the wild plants should have had a good chance to establish themselves, so you’ll be able to cut the grass again. It’s suggested that while you could keep part of the lawn short, if you also retain sections of the longer grass, the garden will provide food for insects throughout the summer.

If you don’t have your own garden, you can spread the word to friends and family or encourage your local authority to leave some areas in parks and public gardens uncut so insects can thrive.

We’d love to know if you’re taking part in No mow May or if the parks, roadside verges and open spaces near you are left to grow, so do please let us know in the comments below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time.

Claire and Sam