The 1 Common Gardening Chore Experts Don't Want You To Do This Summer

Now that May is here, it’s finally time for us gardeners to really thrive in our own little green corners of the world. Whether you have a full on vegetable patch or just a lawn and flowers, now is the time that we really get to tend to our favourite greenery.

However, everybody’s favourite parasocial grandpa, Sir David Attenborough and other gardening experts have backed the ‘No Mow May’ campaign, which asks gardeners to refrain from getting their lawnmowers out this May.

In fact, if you can hold off until July, your garden and local wildlife will thank you.

What is No Mow May?

Plantlife, a UK-based wild plant conservation charity, started the No Mow May campaign in 2019 to encourage garden owners to put their mower away during May and let wildflowers grow and flourish in their gardens.

This is because we have actually lost 97 per cent of British wildflower meadows since the 1930s, which has had a devastating impact on bees and butterflies. 

Plantlife said: “A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground.

“With over 20 million gardens in the UK, even the smallest grassy patches add up to a significant proportion of our land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate.”

Speaking on his documentary Wild Isles last year, Sir David Attenborough said: “With nature friendly farming, meadows can be restored to provide a haven for wildlife. It’s all about the timing.

“Delaying mowing until mid-July allows birds and insects to complete their breeding and flowers to set their seed.”

How to encourage wildflowers to grow in your garden

If you’re inspired to encourage wildflowers to grow in your garden, Plantlife recommends following these steps to keep them flourishing:

• Avoid using herbicides, fertilisers and moss killers  as these are detrimental to wildflower species
• Allow plants time to go to seed before cutting your lawn so they increase naturally.
• Remove grass cuttings to prevent nutrient build-up in your lawn which might discourage wildflowers to grow

 Noted.