Gardeners across the UK are being urged to put away their mowers this May to help boost wildlife. The No Mow May campaign, run by the charity Plantlife, encourages people to let their lawns grow wild for the month, providing vital nectar sources for bees and other pollinators.
Since the 1930s, 97% of British wildflower meadows have vanished, and dozens of species of bee and hoverfly have been lost since 1980 due to insecticides, habitat loss and biodiversity decline. Plantlife claims that abandoning mowing can lead to a tenfold increase in bees, as nectar-rich plants such as white clover, daisy and selfheal flourish.
Gardening writer Kate Bradbury, who advocates for the movement, notes that even partial mowing—such as leaving strips or circles of long grass—can significantly improve wildflower growth. She argues that traditional manicured lawns are often ecologically barren and feed into a problematic history of the 'English Garden'.
Bradbury points to the example of gardener Andrew Timothy O'Brien, who left his lawn unmown all year, allowing it to blend into flowerbeds and support pollinators. She describes mowing as 'one of the most tedious of horticultural tasks' and suggests that letting grass grow is easier, looks good, and supports wildlife.
