Biodiversity for Therfield: No Mow May
No Mow May helps vulnerable pollinators and plantlife to establish themselves early in the growing season.
Published: 19 May 2026
Wildflower meadows are one of the most critical habitats for bees, but the UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadow since the 1930s. To thrive, bees and other pollinators need as much nectar as possible and your garden lawn can make a significant contribution to this food source. There are 23 million gardens in the UK so even small areas of grass can add up to deliver enormous gains for nature and help reverse the decline.
However, May is a crucial month for flowering plants that need to get a firm foothold in order to thrive. To this end the request is to follow “No Mow May” and let wildflowers grow freely and establish themselves. This campaign was created by the charity Plantlife in 2019 to give nature a boost as summer arrives and has been adopted by numerous councils
It’s very easy to follow. Put your lawn mower away for the month and enjoy the time saved just relaxing in your garden. If you’re the restless type then create some additional habitat areas in the time you saved. Don’t forget that nature is not naturally neat and tidy!
By letting some or all of your grass grow long, you will provide egg-laying opportunities for several species of butterfly, including the speckled wood, gatekeeper and Essex skipper.
Any wildflowers already present in the lawn will bloom, attracting pollinators, and others may arrive naturally.
Once the month is over then consider keeping two to three different lengths of grass throughout the summer. This boosts floral diversity and nectar and pollen production through the year.
You will want to maintain a nicely trimmed areas for paths, to set off your flower borders perhaps, or for the children to play on. Mow this once a month to a height of 1 or 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm). This allows smaller plants such as daisies and Bird’s-foot-trefoil to flower in profusion, providing a fabulous food source for bees.
However, there may be areas which do not to be so short. If you are lucky to have large areas of lawn then perhaps you can leave some areas of long grass completely unmown all year to let taller flowers like Oxeye Daisy and Field Scabious come into bloom. These long grasses provide valuable feeding material, shelter, and nesting sites for species such as hedgehogs and toads. By leaving strips of long grass along fences or hedges you will help create corridors for wildlife to move around the landscape.
Mid length ‘meadow’ areas are mown with cuttings collected just 2-3 times per year between September and March. They allow taller growing summer flowers to flourish like Meadow Cranesbill, Musk Mallow, knapweeds and scabiouses.
For more information please visit the Plantlife website where they have detailed information on how to maintain a nature friendly lawn all year round.