I did no mow April. Only because I've sown clover into the lawn for the first time, so obviously then left it to germinate. But now the grass is getting that long that the tiny clovers were getting no light, so I've mown it today.
Will watch and wait now, hopefully the clover starts coming through well.
Slowly building a wildlife garden, in a new build in East Yorkshire.
You need that sign I have on the door @Dovefromabove, about no cold callers etc, although it doesn't stop anything Royal Mail distributes - you have to get their thing done re the address. Mind you , I had a cowboy at the door the other day, a 'tree surgeon'. Tree surgeon my a*se. I recognised him right away as he'd invited himself into the back garden one day many years ago, to try his luck with his tree surgeoning...at the wrong time of year. I pointed to the sign and said 'can you not read?' 'Not really' he said [!] so I told him he might want to re think still driving too, if he couldn't read.... I don't think he was very pleased.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Palustris on a visit to Wales a few years ago we were delighted to see the verges and roundabouts full of wildflowers. Last year on a visit to Brittany we found the same. An amazing picture and ones that the insects would love for some time.
Yes we don't do enough here in England. If only people would love their environment and do more to protect it.
Have you seen how much litter has increased along motorways/main roads/narrow lanes? So sad.
In our village every year there is a litter pick weekend. 23 people turned up and the amount just in and nearby the village was horrendous. OK it is only once a year but at least it happens and the wildlife has a chance of not been trapped in a can/bottle.
Sorry got of the point about verges/lawns but to me it all adds up.
We now leave large areas of our lawn unmown all summer. It looks nice, we hope it does some good and it is a lot easier for the lawn mowing person [ no longer me ]
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
I'd like to do a "no mow May", but this household is a democracy, and a certain lady would like to see it mown!! Trouble is, there's only the two of us, so we are at an impasse. However, since we are trying to sell the house, I understand the need to keep everything neat and tidy. The lady wins the day!😉
This will be the third year we've done 'no mow May' and glad we do. I'd like to leave it longer before mowing as in 'let June bloom' but the mower won't cope if left much longer. When we do mow it's always on the highest setting and about once per month after 'no mow May'. The best of the incoming wildflowers has been bird's foot trefoil; we already had quite a lot including various legumes, self-heal, daisies, dandelions, a bedstraw, red and white clover, spotted medoc and others.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
If we didn’t mow our back garden lawn it would look overgrown as it’s not very big- plus I wouldn’t be able to find the brand new path that my OH lovingly laid for me last year!
However, we like to keep the grass neat and tidy to enhance the look of the gardens but that’s just our preference. There are enough insects and flowers etc to attract the wildlife about the place so will leave them alone there.
The area of "lawn" in our garden is probably about 3/4 of an acre. Unfortunately we have to mow most of it as the one time we left it it was a forest of marestail. We do have a mound with unmown grasses and wildflowers, and a wide strip along the side of the river we can also leave unmown. We strim these 2 areas in early Sept. when the seeds of the flowers have all fallen.
Bee x
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
I've left a big patch of our front garden unmown but it just looks like a messy mass of unkempt grass, no wildflowers at all and it's now full of anthills.
I plan on digging out a couple of beds soon and chucking in a load of wildflower seeds
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Will watch and wait now, hopefully the clover starts coming through well.
Mind you , I had a cowboy at the door the other day, a 'tree surgeon'. Tree surgeon my a*se. I recognised him right away as he'd invited himself into the back garden one day many years ago, to try his luck with his tree surgeoning...at the wrong time of year.
I pointed to the sign and said 'can you not read?' 'Not really' he said [!] so I told him he might want to re think still driving too, if he couldn't read....
I don't think he was very pleased.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Trouble is, there's only the two of us, so we are at an impasse. However, since we are trying to sell the house, I understand the need to keep everything neat and tidy. The lady wins the day!😉
Unfortunately we have to mow most of it as the one time we left it it was a forest of marestail.
We do have a mound with unmown grasses and wildflowers, and a wide strip along the side of the river we can also leave unmown. We strim these 2 areas in early Sept. when the seeds of the flowers have all fallen.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
I plan on digging out a couple of beds soon and chucking in a load of wildflower seeds