Gardeners urged to let lawns go wild to boost nature

Image source, Getty Images

The campaign encourages gardeners to let their lawns grow wild in May.

Plantlife wants people to leave their lawnmowers in the shed for a month and let wild flowers grow instead.

People are being asked to count the flowers that grow and record them as part of the No Mow May project.

Leaving the grass uncut will benefit bees and other insects.

If lawns are left alone, they could be a biodiversity hot spot. More than 250 plant species were reported to have grown on the lawns of those who participated in the campaign.

There were wild strawberry, wild garlic and adders tongue fern. The man and green-winged orchids are declining.

Image source, Tom Jennings

One gardener who has been enjoying a more relaxed approach is Tom. He says it is a chance to connect with the natural world.

Tom says there is an obsession with neat gardens.

Tom saw an explosion of dandelions after letting his back garden grow out.

Tom says he was surprised at how quickly bugs returned to his garden, an encouraging sign given the global decline of insect populations.

He says that it used to be commonplace in the British countryside to walk through the middle of the garden on a sunny day and hear the sound of insects.

Sarah Shuttleworth, 39, a botanist who works for Plantlife, has noticed that the crickets are getting more chirpy after she allowed her lawn to grow wild.

She comments that it makes you feel like you are somewhere tropical instead of your own garden.

Image source, Getty Images

There are perks to letting nature gradually take its course in the garden, according to Colette.

She says it saves you time and arguments with the husband about getting the lawnmower out.

When you sit for just ten minutes a day and look at what the garden is supporting, you realize it is for the benefit of nature.

The charity is asking people to take part in its Every Flower Counts survey at the end of May, to build a picture of what's been growing in the UK's lawns.

Almost a quarter of a million daisies were counted by respondents last year.

Longer term, the charity recommends a layer approach with shorter grass and longer grass living side by side.

Image source, David Fielding

Some gardeners are taking a relaxed approach. A small patch of wilderness in south-east London has been cultivated by David Fielding for several years.

He had tried to make his garden look like a bowling green, but realised that it was creating a "biodiversity desert".

After he adopted a laissez-faire approach to his garden, the likes of woodpeckers, stag beetles, and dragonflies have made repeat appearances.

David says that not everyone is on board with the idea.

One of his neighbours is working on a re-wilding project in their garden, but the other is not convinced.

He laughs and says that his mother still moans at him and says it looks messy.

Image source, Gillian Foxcroft