To mow or not to mow? It’s an increasingly common question for people who have a garden. With so many benefits to wildlife, as well as the gardener, there’s good reason to leave grass be

For those who enjoy a pristine lawn, the no-mow movement may feel a little radical. But if you like the idea of helping the wildlife in your garden and decreasing the use of pesticides – not to mention saving time – then setting your lawnmower aside and allowing nature to take its course could be transformational. Put simply, no-mow gardening means leaving your lawn to grow unchecked for a while. This might be for a full season or a single month and involve a whole garden or plot, a section or even just the edges. Some no-mow gardeners cut strips across their gardens to create pathways while others devote an area specifically to wildlife. Some like to plant wildflower seeds into the no-mow sections of their lawns, others simply wait to see what grows naturally. However you choose to do it, embracing this holistic approach could give your local biodiversity a real boost, helping insect, bird, butterfly and bee populations thrive.

No Mow May

UK organisation Plantlife launched its No Mow May campaign to encourage people to embrace wilder gardening during the month of May – the height of the growing season. Felicity Harris, head of participation at Plantlife, says: ‘Each year, the trend towards wilder lawns is growing from the grassroots up. It’s not only plants and pollinators that benefit – gardeners do, too. Less mowing gives people more time to relax and reconnect with nature. Those hours previously spent mowing can be used building a wildlife pond, a bug hotel or a reptile refugium.’