I think part of the problem is knowing what you're trying to achieve by leaving long grass @Fairygirl I've always managed mine for maximum clover so I mow early in the year and then again after the clover has set seed. I can manage any straggly grass by hand and avoid the flowers. Last year I found that I had a clump of Cocksfoot grass though which attracted Cocksfoot moths. Once they've laid eggs on it you're either stuck with the stuff until the pupae hatch in May/June the next year or you have to cut it back and the larvae will die but most people won't even notice the moths. Lawns like mine are small enough to be manageable when the grass is long but I think it's much better to leave patches of long grass unless you have a plan to deal with it.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
That's the problem though, isn't it @wild edges . The majority of people probably don't know what they're trying to achieve, they're just following the trend, and it makes them feel good. I have clover growing in lots of places all around the garden [I actively encourage it] so it can do it's own thing all year round, along with other plants, and the bees and other pollinators can get the benefit. My small lawn gets cut, but never short, so there's other bits and pieces in there all the time. There's plenty of other places for all sorts of stuff to lay eggs or nest, and thrive without any interference from me. I feel that's how it should be if people really want to benefit differing wildlife, rather than this idea that not cutting grass for a month is the perfect solution to aiding it. We also have a large, varied landscape around here, so I certainly don't feel any guilt about cutting the grass.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We also have a large, varied landscape around here, so I certainly don't feel any guilt about cutting the grass.
This is the key thing for any area to acheive. Areas of short grass are just as important as areas of long grass but you do need both, as well as bare soil, leaf litter, and all kinds of surfaces. Patchwork habitat is the ultimate goal but finding and maintaining the balance is the hard part. Plastic grass doesn't count of course.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
I also think that some people are being made to feel guilty about how they garden. There was someone a year or two ago on the forum who wanted to add a pond in their garden. There was so much hysteria going around about using plastic that they were wondering if they should have one. I think that's very sad, and I remember saying to her that she would be creating such a great site for wildlife of all types, that she shouldn't feel guilty about putting one in. Balance - as always - is the key to most things in life. We won't always get it right, but as long as we do our best, and try to learn about the impact of our various actions, that's surely what matters.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
There's plenty of other places for all sorts of stuff to lay eggs or nest, and thrive without any interference from me. I feel that's how it should be if people really want to benefit differing wildlife, rather than this idea that not cutting grass for a month is the perfect solution to aiding it. We also have a large, varied landscape around here, so I certainly don't feel any guilt about cutting the grass.
@Fairygirl I don't think anyone is saying No Mow May is the perfect solution. I think the perfect solution would be be to ban neonicotinoids.....but that probably won't happen any time soon. Increasing awareness to the dire plight of pollinating insects and getting people involved in No Mow May is helpful. And the habitat improvement through No Mow May will not happen in just one year; it will hopefully increase year on year.
Not everyone is lucky enough to live in a wild place like you do.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
That's actually something I've been thinking about a lot recently. The new sustainable urban drainage laws in Wales require water features and rain gardens to be included in construction projects, and you need long term management programs for the systems that are used. Pragmatically it could be a great boon for wildlife but balancing it with upfront costs and long-term practicalities is a nightmare. It's the same with No-mow May. Short term trend is fine and will have benefits but it's really about changing mentalities in the long-term and finding a more sustainable way to manage gardens that people will actually stick to.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Wild edges, collies are just wolves in not very good disguise, aren't they?
I agree that people shouldn't be made to feel guilty about how they garden. There's a sort of hectoring that simply alienates and makes people either get discouraged or roll their eyes and disengage. Shame about pond lady- I hope she ignored them. I doubt (what with seed trays, propagators, plant pots, cable ties, compost bags, watering cans, clematis netting... the list goes on) that there is a single gardener who doesn't use some plastic, anyway.
It's mostly like Stepford round here - perfect squares of bowling green lawns with immaculate flower beds - even the bird feeders are posh. Our neighbour was asking about the non cut border, and was impressed by talk of wildlife, but was too bothered about other people's opinions to do it himself - I'm happy to say he has not cut his front lawn for a month and it looks beautiful! It's a great start that I hope will catch on. I used to bring my horse up regularly to mow the lawn while I had a cuppa, and she'd pull some of the moss but spit it out, so the birds had easy nesting material. The locals' reaction to this was either hilarity or disgust. 😄 We all been to do what we can for wildlife, and I'd rather see a thriving plastic pond than a concrete desert.
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As said above, it's to get people used to the idea of having more wilding in the garden.
I have clover growing in lots of places all around the garden [I actively encourage it] so it can do it's own thing all year round, along with other plants, and the bees and other pollinators can get the benefit. My small lawn gets cut, but never short, so there's other bits and pieces in there all the time.
There's plenty of other places for all sorts of stuff to lay eggs or nest, and thrive without any interference from me. I feel that's how it should be if people really want to benefit differing wildlife, rather than this idea that not cutting grass for a month is the perfect solution to aiding it.
We also have a large, varied landscape around here, so I certainly don't feel any guilt about cutting the grass.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Balance - as always - is the key to most things in life. We won't always get it right, but as long as we do our best, and try to learn about the impact of our various actions, that's surely what matters.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Not everyone is lucky enough to live in a wild place like you do.
I'm just not convinced that it's particularly beneficial in every situation, that's all. Just my opinion, which I'm entitled to express.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I agree that people shouldn't be made to feel guilty about how they garden. There's a sort of hectoring that simply alienates and makes people either get discouraged or roll their eyes and disengage. Shame about pond lady- I hope she ignored them. I doubt (what with seed trays, propagators, plant pots, cable ties, compost bags, watering cans, clematis netting... the list goes on) that there is a single gardener who doesn't use some plastic, anyway.
I used to bring my horse up regularly to mow the lawn while I had a cuppa, and she'd pull some of the moss but spit it out, so the birds had easy nesting material. The locals' reaction to this was either hilarity or disgust. 😄
We all been to do what we can for wildlife, and I'd rather see a thriving plastic pond than a concrete desert.