Become a No Mow May Hero!

Plantlife UK (https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/) has launched its No Mow May event for 2026, inviting anyone concerned about the catastrophic decline in our insect populations to sign up to participate in this critical activity.  Owing to the expansion of intensive agriculture over recent decades and with the loss of wildflower meadows by up to 97%, our gardens are now at the forefront of providing food and habitats for these insects, especially pollinators which most of them are.  We can allow our gardens to facilitate the growth of pollinating plants by reducing the number of cuts we can make to the lawn, particularly in May.  It is a sad indictment of grass-cutting policy that so many of the road verges, another potential source of insect food and habitat, are regularly shaved to leave uniform mats of grass, regarded as neat and tidy but in fact barren of so much life.  These verges are especially important in early Spring when the first flowers emerge: snowdrops, daffodils and other garden plants, but also daisies, dandelions and many smaller flowering species coincide with the emergence of the earliest insects.  Different insects also need a succession of diverse flowering varieties to ensure their food supplies throughout the whole season; butterflies, for example, often require a single species food plant.  In turn, the more insects we can attract, the more food there will be to raise our bird populations which are also sadly in decline.  The way to help these wild plants grow is to ensure no grass cuttings are left behind to feed the grass since this suppresses the growth of the flowering plants.  The flowering verges can offer a truly picturesque display of colour and yet many are frequently cut too early and too frequently for their seeds to drop.  More and more towns and councils however, have begun to reduce their cuts, we need to encourage them to do so, and so can we. 

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Our pollinating animals are vital for arable crops and also for those of us who grow our own vegetables at home or on allotments.  As well as pollinating our plants, these often invisible and tiny creatures are also nourishing the invisible worlds below our lawns where within the soil are myriads of microbial and fungal activities which maintain viable ecosystems to enable vigorous growth.   As Plantlife suggests, these healthier, more diverse and colourful environments can support our own wellbeing; and if we share our plans with our neighbours, we can help create whole green corridors for a wider variety of wildlife.  Beyond May, wilder patches in the garden can be left for the successions of different insects and the presence of other wildlife.  Spending less time mowing the lawn means more time to enjoy your garden and to look around to see what’s turning up!

Sign up today and download the Plantlife Guide for tips and planting regimes to get the best out of your garden and the lawn throughout the year.  Report here on the species you discover in your garden and send in photos of your garden to the Planet Shaftesbury website!