Gardeners are being advised to not mow their lawns till a date in June following a stark warning from consultants.
Backyard ideas: The right way to preserve your garden
It has been a largely shiny and sunny April to date which has meant gardeners have been flocking again outdoors to tidy, mow, trim and usually preserve their lawns, grass, hedges and flowerbeds this month. However wildlife consultants are warning folks to not minimize their grass or mow their garden till a date in June on the earliest.
The warning has been backed by famend naturalist Sir David Attenborough, who has lately been calling on Britain to ‘delay mowing’ as a result of the nation has misplaced a startling 97% of a treasured habitat important to the meals chain. It is as a result of bugs like bees, butterflies and even wasps use lawns and specifically, the daisies, weeds and wildflowers amongst them, to breed, pollinate and in any other case preserve a wholesome ecosystem presently of yr. Shredding the grass down interferes with all that, killing off a number of bugs which are an important – and more and more threatened – a part of our ecosystem. Put merely, if these bugs die off, all of us die off finally.
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Gardeners World legend Monty Don has warned gardeners to not minimize lawns till one date in June.
He stated: “Nothing must be minimize in any respect till after the longest day on June 21.
“This offers the foliage of the bulbs time to die again and feed subsequent yr’s bulb and subsequent flowering.
“The grass can then be minimize if it has been scorching and dry though typically I go away this as late as mid-August.”
Famend naturalist Sir David Attenborough additionally issued a warning in regards to the state of the UK’s wildlife on BBC’s Wild Isles nature documentary.
He stated: “Nowhere right here is richer in wildflowers and bug pollinators than our conventional hay meadows. Sadly, within the final 60 years, we have misplaced 97% of this treasured habitat.
“However with nature-friendly farming, meadows will be restored to supply a haven for wildlife.
“It is all in regards to the timing. Delaying mowing…permits birds and bugs to finish their breeding and flowers to set their seed.”
UK wildlife organisation Plantlife is main No Mow Might 2026.
It says: “No Mow Might is without doubt one of the best methods to assist the surroundings – letting wildflowers like daisies, dandelions and clovers develop whereas supporting bees and butterflies. (Even small wild patches add as much as make an enormous distinction to nature.)
“No Mow Might is Plantlife’s annual marketing campaign urging everybody to pack away the lawnmower, let wildflowers develop freely and assist nature out of your doorstep.
One date in June has been tipped as the very best time to mow your garden (Picture: Getty)
“From Might onwards, merely cease mowing your garden (and even only a small a part of it) and do extra by doing much less.
“No garden is simply too small! Even the tiniest wild patch can present important meals wanted by bees and butterflies and provides wildlife the very best begin to summer time.
“Plus, much less mowing will prevent effort, value, cut back your carbon footprint and offer you a deeper connection to nature.
“It truly is that easy to make a distinction – from Might, put the mower away!
“Roughly 97% of flower-rich meadows have been misplaced for the reason that Thirties, and with them, important meals and habitat wanted by wildlife.
“However your backyard might help! A wholesome garden with some longer grass and wildflowers helps to deal with air pollution, advantages wildlife and might even lock away carbon beneath the bottom.
“There’s round 23 million gardens within the UK, so think about the impression if all of us took half! Even the smallest grassy patches can add up.
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