Cut long grass as short as possible

We cut our long grass at some point in August, depending on the weather. This includes the Orchard, the Cricket Pitch and the strip between the Cottage and Damp Gardens, all of which are sown with wildflowers and planted with masses of bulbs.

The process is lengthy and can be hard work, but the grass has not been cut since the previous October so amounts to very little trouble across the year.

The important thing is to cut it as short as possible – ‘scalping’ it so that the bare soil is exposed freely – and to remove all the grass clippings to the compost heap. This means that wildflower seed will make contact with the soil and improve chances of germination, and that the nutrition from the cut grass does not go back into the ground and feed the grass at the expense of the flowers.

When we have completed this initial cut, we then keep these areas mown weekly for the rest of the summer so that they go into winter short, which means that the early spring bulbs are not hidden by long grass. It is then important to allow the foliage of the bulbs to die back naturally and the seeds of the flowers to fall before cutting – which takes us through to August.

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Monty gives long meadow grass a first cut of the year in August, taking it back to nearly bare earth, then removes the clippings so wildflower seeds have a chance to germinate