The No Mow May campaign, led by conservation charity Plantlife, encourages us to leave our lawns uncut for the month. By doing so, we allow wildflowers like daisies, clover and dandelions to bloom, providing a vital feast for bees, butterflies and other pollinators emerging from hibernation. A neat, short lawn might please the eye but it offers little for wildlife. By contrast, a patch of longer grass becomes a lifeline not just for insects but for small mammals, frogs and even the secretive slowworm, one of Sussex’s more magical residents.
Last year I left a corner of my garden to grow wild. By the end of May it was alive with the hum of bees on the clover, butterflies basking on the grasses and slowworms slipping silently through the warm cover. It was a reminder of how quickly wildlife returns when we simply step back.
You don’t need a big garden to make a difference. Even a small strip left unmown can provide essential food and shelter. You can also go a little further by planting native wildflowers, building log piles or leaving patches of bare earth for solitary bees. Talk to your neighbours too. By working together to create gaps at the bottom of fences or hedgerows you can help build wildlife corridors for hedgehogs and other creatures to move safely between gardens.
At Sussex Green Living we are working to support pollinators across Sussex through No Mow May and beyond. We are developing Pollination Education Stations across Horsham District, inspiring communities to rewild their green spaces and learn practical ways to help nature thrive.
If you would like ideas for expanding the impact of your wild spaces and supporting pollinators in Sussex, visit the Sussex Green Living website and explore our No Mow May support page at sussexgreenliving.org.uk/no-mow-may-sussex.