What is No Mow May and Why Should You Take Part?

May is creeping up on us which can only mean one thing – it’s time for No Mow May again!! I get stupidly excited about this! This is all about getting your garden greener and attracting more wildlife and insects and of course, creating a healthier lawn as well, what’s not to love? So, let me tell you what No Mow May is all about and why more people should be taking part.

What is No Mow May?

No Mow May is a campaign launched in 2019 by the British Conservation Charity Plantlife to encourage more of us to leave our lawns alone during the month of May. The reason behind doing this is to help increase the growth of grasses and wildflowers, therefore resulting in providing more shelter, food and space for our wildlife.

Why Take Part in No Mow May?

Here in the UK, we have lost almost 97% of wildflower meadows since the 1970s. On top of this, many gardens are now hard landscaped and the popularity and use of plastic grass has also increased. The desire to have immaculate looking gardens will be our downfall because the more greenery we remove, the more we affect our natural world. We all know how vital bees are, but without wildflowers, they struggle to find food and in turn, pollinate which is crucial for all ecosystems (including us). Gardens with healthy lawns, plants and flowers benefit a wide range of wildlife, help to tackle air pollution and also store carbon – even the smallest garden can make a difference!

Simple Steps Can Make a Big Difference

I am always, ALWAYS talking about the importance of small sustainable steps and this surely has to be one of the simplest? All this campaign wants you to do is, well, nothing basically. Don’t touch that lawn, don’t kill those (so-called) weeds, don’t trim the edges, just let nature do its thing and you will most definitely be rewarded. We have taken part in this for the last 2 years (I heard about it during lockdown) and each time we leave our lawn during this period we always see an increase in the number of bee varieties and butterflies visiting our garden. It becomes a joy to watch the new goings-on and it really is proof that creating wild areas does work.

Sign Up and Spread The Word

It’s not a requirement but it does give Plantlife a better idea of how well their campaign is running and how far and wide the word has spread so if you could sign up over on their website just to say yes, I am taking part then that would be brilliant. And then get telling everyone you know so they can also join in!

Have you taken part before or will this be your very first No Mow May?

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