Wild about lawns

For many of us, lawns are places to play with the kids or spots to relax on a summer day. Perhaps you see yours as a chore that constantly needs attention or maybe you’re one of the many who are leaving a patch to grow wild. More and more of us are realising just how important our outdoor green carpets are for wildlife and are discovering ways to make them even better.

Lawns are so much more than patches of grass. Last year I left a patch of clover to grow when the rest of the lawn was mown. I was delighted by the sound of buzzing bumblebees in the early evening as this blanket of flowers provided all the food they needed before settling down for the night. When I got down close, I saw hunting ladybirds, spiders and rove beetles as well as different pollinators coming in for a sup. I also knew that when the hedgehog visited that evening, this wild patch would provide a feast.

You may need convincing that your lawn doesn’t need to be mown every week. I’ve always been told that if you get the edges right, the rest looks neat. If you’re not keen on wilding your entire lawn why not mow a square, create a grid of wild patches or mow a couple of paths through the longer grass. You could raise the height of your mower so you don’t crop the grass too low; many species of wildflower will respond by flowering at a lower height and still provide muchneeded pollen and nectar for your local insects.

Let’s look at weeds differently. They’re just wildflowers. If orchids were growing in your lawn rather than daisies, you’d be delighted. We’ve lost more than 97% of our wildflower meadows in the UK so your lawn can help to replace some of that loss.

Unless you’ve got a recently turfed new lawn, you probably won’t need to add wildflower seeds - ditch the weedkiller, mow less often and let the flowers flourish to see what’s been champing at the bit to get going for years. If you did want to sow some wildflower seeds, you’ll need to rough up the turf first so that the seeds make contact with the soil.

Leaving grass to grow longer will offer shelter for grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars and more. By allowing these to thrive, you’ll provide a buffet for birds, bats and your local hedgehogs. You’ll have a colourful flower-filled garden filled with the sound of your wild neighbours and will have more time on your hands now you don’t have to do all that mowing. So why not join in the national No Mow May movement and go wild about your lawn? If we’re going to protect, restore and reconnect our beleaguered wildlife, what better place to start?

You can download your free wild about lawns booklet to discover more about wilding your patch and what might benefit: www.worcswildlifetrust. co.uk/wild-about-lawns