{"id":15773,"date":"2022-04-20T08:00:34","date_gmt":"2022-04-20T06:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=60506"},"modified":"2022-04-20T08:18:12","modified_gmt":"2022-04-20T06:18:12","slug":"no-mow-may-the-best-excuse-for-not-mowing-the-lawn","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/no-mow-may-the-best-excuse-for-not-mowing-the-lawn\/","title":{"rendered":"No Mow May: the best excuse for not mowing the lawn"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Megan Shersby\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 20 April 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Since the 1930s, nearly 7.5 million acres of flower-rich meadows and pastures have been lost. This has a cascade effect on our wildlife, with fewer pollinators and fewer insect-eating birds.<\/p>\n

However, you can help \u2013 by doing nothing this May! Take a break from your regular lawn mowing schedule, and help your local wildlife at the same time.<\/p>\n

Learn more about helping wildlife in your garden in our wildlife gardening hub<\/a> which is packed with fantastic advice, including how to build and care for a wildlife pond<\/a>, how to make a bee hotel<\/a>, and the best five bird feeds for garden birds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What is No Mow May?<\/h2>\n

First launched in 2019 by the botanical charity\u00a0Plantlife<\/a>, No Mow May is a campaign that encourages gardeners to not mow their lawn during the month of May, in order to let wild flowers bloom and provide a nectar feast for pollinators such as honeybees<\/a>, bumblebees and solitary bees, butterflies and moths, and beetles<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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A 7-spot ladybird on a dandelion flower. \u00a9 Cuveland\/ullstein bild\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

A Plantlife survey of 2,000 gardeners revealed that the majority mowed their lawns once a fortnight.<\/p>\n

The charity\u2019s citizen science survey showed that mowing less than this resulted in an increase in the pollen count, with increases in daises, germander, speedwell and creeping buttercup. And by stopping mowing in July as well, there was an increase in white clover, selfheal and bird\u2019s foot trefoil.<\/p>\n

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