Let lawns run wild for ‘No Mow May’

Gardeners are being encouraged to embrace wilder lawns to help plants and wildlife, the charity Plantlife said in the lead-up to its annual “No Mow May” campaign.

Plantlife is asking people to leave the lawnmower in the shed during May and to mow less and at different lengths and frequencies through the summer to create a mosaic of habitats that benefit wildflowers, bees and other insects.

It is also asking gardeners to take part in an “every flower counts” citizen science survey in the last week of May to see what is growing in our lawns.

The charity says that those who did not mow their lawn in May last year reported more than 250 different plants among the grass, including wild strawberry, wild garlic and rare species such as adder’s-tongue fern, meadow saxifrage and eyebright.

To find out more, visit nomowmay. plantlife.org.uk.