No Mow May: Helps The Wildlife in Your Garden

No Mow May is an international campaign to encourage people not to mow their lawns throughout the month of May in order to boost the flowers, and nectar, available to pollinating insects such as bees, butterflies and moths.

No Mow May aims to give another boost of much-needed nectar to pollinators across gardens, parklands and verges as gardeners pledge not to mow their lawns for the month. Why not join in? Or, at least, put aside a portion of your garden temporarily or permanently for the benefit of your local wildlife?

No Mow May gives wild plants the opportunity to get a foothold during the month, to feed bees, butterflies and other pollinators through summer - and giving spring plants a chance to set seed before the first cutting makes for healthier, more diverse lawns. “Swerving mowing in May doesn’t only boost spring wild flowers, it also allows people a little extra time to enjoy our glorious green spaces and connect with nature,” says senior ecological advisor Sarah Shuttleworth of Plantlife UK.

Bee City USA notes that "lawns cover 40 million acres of land in the US, making them the single largest irrigated crop we grow. Lawns are mowed, raked, fertilized, weeded, chemically treated, and watered⁠ - sucking up time, money, and other resources. Lawns provide little benefit to wildlife, and are often harmful. Grass-only lawns lack floral resources and nesting sites for bees and are often treated with pesticides that harm bees and other invertebrates."

"When we think of habitat loss, we tend to imagine bulldozers and rutted dirt, but acres of manicured lawn are as much a loss of habitat as any development site. Re-thinking the American lawn can take a variety of forms from reducing mowing frequency or area mown to permanently converting lawn to a more diverse and natural landscape."