Garden mini-meadows:

Spring has arrived, and with it comes the annual tradition of No Mow May: a movement urging people to lock up their lawnmowers throughout May, promoting biodiversity and supporting pollinators. It's an opportunity to witness the beauty of wildflowers and native plants, which thrive when lawns are left untouched. But this year, why not take it a step further and create a mini-meadow or grassland?

No-mow is great to show you where the wildflowers are in your lawn, i.e. what is already there naturally - making it the perfect 1st step of mini-meadow creation. If you want to provide the maximum food source for your pollinators, rather than mowing it all again in June, leave an area of it untouched throughout spring and summer and only mow it in September once the flowers have finished. This is the easiest way to grow a mini-meadow in your garden and means our native bees can easily find nectar sources throughout their most active months. You can always enhance this area with bulbs or by planting wildflowers (e.g., cowslips, ox-eye daisy or foxgloves).

Lawns, or sections of garden, can be turned into wildflower meadows in several ways, depending on how much time and effort you want to put in and the result you want to achieve:

•        The easiest option is to simply leave some, or all, of your lawn unmown and to let the grass grow long where any wildflowers are already present and for them to be able to reach the height needed to flower. Mow and remove the cuttings in September.

•        Another easy option is to plant low-growing wildflowers and spring bulbs in your lawn to create a flower-rich mown lawn. If your lawn already supports several low-growing wildflowers, this will lend itself to adopting this option.  This is a good compromise as it requires less frequent mowing than a regular lawn but can still be cut before it gets long if you want a shorter, lawn-like finish. Species such as birds-foot trefoil and selfheal are great for butterfly species, such as common blue and small skipper, as well as other pollinators.  These wildflowers can also cope with being mown since they can adapt to flower at a short height. Clover is another low-growing species favoured by bees.

•        The third option is to convert a lawn into a wildflower meadow, which can be done over several years. There are lots of ‘how-to’ meadow guides out there. I would recommend Plantlife’s ‘ How to Grow a Wildflower Meadow.’ You can find it online at www.plantlife.org.uk/how-to-grow-a-wildflower-meadow

•        Managing your lawn to both include both shorter and longer areas (to create structural diversity) will support the greatest diversity of species.

Whichever option you choose, mini-meadows are a boon for pollinators and massively increase your garden’s biodiversity and benefit to wildlife. I had a hedgehog fossicking in my little wildflower border last year. Remember, your garden must work for you too, so why not have a play and trial different things?

So, as May unfolds and the grass grows taller, consider creating a mini-meadow. Let your lawn be a sanctuary for pollinators, and a testament to the beauty of nature. Together, we can turn our gardens into vibrant ecosystems which collectively make a real difference for nature. Happy gardening everyone!

World Bee Day! 20th May

20th May is annual World Bee Day! Hopefully you’re already helping bees get a wide range of diverse nectar sources by partaking in ‘No Mow May’. Some other ways to help protect our declining bee populations include purchasing sustainable local honey, ditching harmful synthetic pesticides, providing a suitable water source for thirsty pollinators (can simply be a shallow bowl of water with stones in it for bees to land on), or hosting an event to raise awareness in your local area. 

wildoxfordshire.org.uk