David Attenborough has encouraged gardeners to abandon one widespread practice in an effort to safeguard wildlife in their outdoor areas. The natural historian and broadcaster, with arguably one of the most immediately recognisable voices in Britain, has focused his attention on the hidden worlds of the backyards and gardens scattered throughout the UK in David Attenborough's Secret Garden, which was broadcast on BBC One.
Attenborough: gardens can be as diverse as rainforests
In the programme, the beloved presenter and conservationist, who recently marked his 100th birthday, describes gardens – from modest patches to impressively vast expanses – as “magical places”, with some being “almost as diverse as a tropical rainforest”. British gardens can provide a temporary refuge for essential pollinators such as bumblebees, honeybees, wasps, drone flies, ladybirds, beetles and more, while also offering safe sanctuary to hedgehogs in urban and rural environments, resting places for birds, and a whole array of other creatures large and small.
Stop mowing your lawn
Throughout the series, Attenborough shares his extensive experience and knowledge with viewers in an attempt to help people in making their gardens more wildlife friendly. There's an assortment of excellent tips available but one may prove somewhat unexpected. Attenborough recommends abandoning the lawnmower. Now summer has well and truly arrived, those lucky enough to have a garden are particularly eager to spend as much time as possible outdoors. Usually, this brings with it the urge to give it something of a makeover – cutting the lawn to a visually appealing carpet of uniform, short grass, while removing weeds, deceased plants and worn-out pots and greenery. However, this could prove to be the incorrect approach.
Benefits of longer grass
Permitting the grass to grow somewhat longer establishes an immediate habitat which benefits ground nesting insects by offering them somewhere to conceal themselves, alongside refuge for other insects. Longer grass is also superior at retaining moisture, while some unwelcome weeds such as dandelions offer a food source for emerging spring insects – provided they're not trimmed down too prematurely. You could choose to leave one area unmowed and you'll quickly notice a substantial difference.
Attenborough and RSPB back the approach
Attenborough said: “Many of us are completely unaware of the wild world right under our noses.” The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) supports this recommendation. It states: “Mowing your lawn less saves you time and makes a big difference to the wildlife in your garden. Create a mini jungle for beetles and other small creatures to wander and where sparrows and goldfinches can come to feed on the seeds.” The nature conservation charity adds this will promote grasses to “set feed” while encouraging wildflowers to bloom and “provide nectar”, with the longer stems establishing a “sheltered microclimate”. It continues: “Avoid using strimmers too, as they can injure hedgehogs, frogs and insect larvae. If you can resist mowing your lawn until late summer, this will mimic the hay meadows of old.”
