This photo of the young frog emerging from the grass is one of my personal favorite photos. I love how the lighting of the flares and how the colours through the grass came out but there is also an important message behind it. If you look closely, you can see this frog had a narrow escape from a set of lawnmower blades. The grass is freshly cut around them and their once safe cover of vegetation is lost. So many creatures, from frogs and bees to voles and butterflies, use your garden as their home. Sometimes this is not always noticed but they are there, and they need support. This is why organisations like Plantlife promote No Mow May. The concept behind No Mow May is simple, from May 1st don’t cut your lawn and allow the wildflowers to grow. As they do so, then in turn the flowers are able to attract wildlife and provide vital support and food for the busy pollinators throughout the month.
Do lawns really need to be cut every week to less than an inch? If you are very fond of having a well-groomed lawn, perhaps try letting it grow throughout May. You may appreciate the colours brought in by the wildflowers and pollinators as well as knowing you are playing a role in supporting your local ecosystems. Some people often choose to carve paths in their wildflowers to allow accessibility to garden elements like the washing line and benches etc. Whatever bits you can leave uncut will benefit so many organisms in your garden and really help support the biodiversity in your area. Since the 1930s, 97% of wildflower meadows in Britain have been lost leading to a massive decline in the pollinating insect species so any extra wildflowers are greatly appreciated in the environment!
If you are interested in taking part in No Mow May and learning more about what positive impacts you can have on the biodiversity from your garden, have a look at the Plantlife website where you can calculate your ‘Nectar Score’ of your garden! (https://www.plantlife.org.uk/)
Tom Knowles
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