No Mow May - now what?
Leave lawns longer and reap the benefits
We’ve gone from "No Mow May" to no more May, so what now?
No Mow May is the brainchild of the Plantlife (plantlife.org.uk), a British charity aimed at protecting threatened flowers, plants, and fungi.
Researchers in the U.K. discovered that when few other plants are flowering in spring, lawns produce an astonishing number of nectar-producing plants that are critical to pollinators, including hungry queen bees, the only bees that overwinter in northern climates. The guidelines for No Mow May are simple – leave lawnmowers in the shed till June and let nature happen on lawns.
Being on the Island in May this year for the first time in many years, we jumped on the No Mow May bandwagon and enjoyed watching the result.
Dandelion, speedwell, creeping charlie, wild strawberry, clover, violets, grasses and many more plant species burst into bloom and attracted an incredible number of bees, bee-mimics, flower flies, tiny butterflies and beetles. The drone of bees and other insects collecting pollen and nectar was the soundtrack for our month.
June brought sunshine and hot temperatures, turning the
Island into that magical shade of light green we all love. Wildflowers are everywhere, and native flowering shrubs like chokecherry are in full bloom. With all this nectar now available in gardens, fields, and hedgerow, pollinators no longer depend on our dandelion-covered lawn for food.
Our lawn, like many human heads on P.E.I. as a result of COVID-19, is long and in pressing need of a good tidy-up. But just as we reflect on the new normal as the pandemic eases, we have an opportunity to consider alternatives to the closely-cropped lawn. Plant life recommends a compromise – cut lawns less frequently, ideally once a month, and set the blades higher, between one to two inches above the ground. This longer cut allows flowering plants, such as daisies and clover, to reflower quickly, boosting available pollen. Leaving an area of unmown grass somewhere on our property creates a further mix of plants and flowers to support additional pollinators.
And the good news? By leaving our lawns a little longer and a little wilder, not only are helping our pollinators, but we have rescued all the hours we would have spent cutting grass which we can now spend on our many trails and beaches, enjoying the nature we are helping to protect.
By leaving our lawns a little longer and a little wilder, not only are helping our pollinators, but we have rescued all the hours we would have spent cutting grass . . .