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Help wildlife, connect with nature and take part in No Mow May – straight from your garden by letting the wildflowers grow (in May and beyond!)
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Join us and expert botanist Ben Averis for this meadows ID training session to get ready for a season of surveys.
We have an exciting opportunity for people to join us, along with expert botanist Ben Averis, for a meadows ID training session in the Cairngorms.
This training session aims to give you skills to identify a number of wild plants that we find in our grasslands in Scotland.
After the session, there will also be further volunteering opportunities to join surveys at 4 farms later this summer.
In partnership with Pastures for Life, we have been supporting 4 farmers to trial novel grazing techniques. These techniques have been designed to improve biodiversity in upper Strathspey in the Cairngorms National Park for the past 4 years.
This summer volunteers will then be leading on a rapid habitat assessment, revisiting quadrats previously assigned to assess habitat improvement.
Location: The upcoming training session will take place on June 7 at Nethy Bridge in the Cairngorms.
Accessibility: This training covers rough terrain and will be off paths. There will also be some steep slopes.
Facilities: There are no toilet facilities on site.
Refreshments: Tea and coffee will be provided, and volunteers are asked to bring a packed lunch on the day.
A rainbow of wildflowers in your lawn doesn’t just bring garden owners joy, but it is also the sign of a healthy and thriving garden.
Learn how to increase the number of wildflowers appearing in your lawn this year with our expert guidance.
Different flowers provide different resources for different wildlife species. Clover on a short flowering lawn provides a lifeline for bumblebees, long grasses provide an essential resource for butterflies and moths such as the Small Skipper, and Goldfinches are attracted to Knapweed when it sets seed.
But how do you increase the diversity of plants in your garden? Here are some tips from Plantlife’s wildflower experts to help you create a blooming bonanza!
They are some of the first lawn flowers to appear each year and provide much needed food to early bees and other pollinators when there is little else out in flower. Sparrows also enjoy feasting on their seeds as a tasty snack.
Plantlife’s No Mow May is here – let’s give power to the flowers!
It’s is one of the easiest ways to connect with wildlife and the perfect way to start supporting nature in your garden (in May and beyond!).
It’s not just wildflowers which benefit from not mowing our lawns this May. Pollinators and other wildlife bring our gardens to life!
If you want to create a home for wildlife in your garden, here’s a couple of nature-friendly gardening jobs to inspire you. If you create the right space, nature will come.
As well as bringing back the bloom to our lawns, there are many ways you can get involved with No Mow May, even if you don’t have a garden.
If you have any questions before getting started, from what happens when you stop mowing, to which flowers might pop up – here’s everything you need to know to join the movement.
For the past 7 years, thousands of people have joined our No Mow May movement, choosing to give nature a boost by letting their lawns grow.
This year, it’s all about the flowers! We want as many people as possible to give power to the flowers by letting their lawns bloom throughout May and beyond.
No Mow May™ is Plantlife’s annual campaign we launched in 2018 to encourage people to manage their lawns for nature.
But No Mow May is just the beginning, it’s followed by Let it Bloom June and Mow-saic months right the way through. They’re all part of the growing No Mow Movement!
We see May as an entry point for people, whether you’re someone who has never thought beyond a neatly manicured lawn or someone who has always wanted to try gardening for nature. Our aim is simple: to get people cutting less, for longer. So, whether you join us just for May or stick with it all season, it all makes a real difference for nature.
We chose May to get started, because that’s when most of our wonderful wild plants are getting going for the season. Giving them time during this period gives them a good head start.
At this time of year, your garden can also become a haven for wildlife at a time when it is greatly needed.
We think of May as the starting point, a springing board for managing your lawn for nature year round. Sometimes it’s easier for people to start small, before committing to a bigger shift in their gardening journey. The goal is to mow less for longer.
Why not check out our No Mow Movement Calendar for top lawn tips throughout the year.
The No Mow Movement Calendar
2025 will be our 7th No Mow May! We started the Movement back in 2018 and thousands of people have joined us over the years, creating space for nature in their gardens.
Approximately 97% of flower-rich meadows have been lost since the 1930s, and with them, vital food and habitat needed by wildlife.
While this fact is alarming, joining the No Mow Movement is one way we can all help. There are more than 20 million gardens in the UK, and every patch, no matter how small, can add up to deliver huge gains for nature, people and the climate.
The good news is that everyone can take part in No Mow May! Even the smallest areas can add up to big wins for nature. So, whether you have a tiny space, a balcony or no garden at all, there’s always ways to join the movement.
You could make a mini meadow in even the smallest garden, or you could create one in a planter. Read our 6 Ways to do No Mow May Without a Lawn blog here, for more ideas.
Parks, road verges and village greens can all be turned into wild areas. Look out for your local Friends of Group to see if there’s any green spaces you could get involved in. If you’re not lucky enough to live close to an established group, why not consider starting your own community meadow? Read our guidance here for more information.
We’re glad you asked! It’s super easy to join the movement, all you need to do is sign up here, then put your feet up and let nature do the rest! And, for some top tips on taking part, read our lawn guide here.
The more people that sign up the better! We have streamlined our sign-ups so it’s quicker than not mowing your lawn! Registering helps us to keep track of the space that is being created for nature across the UK.
Plus, by joining the No Mow Movement you will also get access to exclusive tips, guides, stories and badges
How you take part in No Mow May is up to you — but if you want to give biodiversity the biggest boost, there’s a simple trick –, variety!
Keeping 2 to 3 different grass lengths throughout the summer helps maximise flower variety and the nectar they produce.
Nature will thank you! Giving your lawn a mowing break over the summer can allow time needed by wildflowers, to grow, bloom and set seed.
Wilder lawns are great for nature, for carbon storage, biodiversity and of course wildlife! From the insects and birds that can hide away in longer grasses, to the pollinators that wildflowers will feed, your lawn will be buzzing with life.
We encourage people to manage their lawns for nature all year round, and management does include mowing. We know that some people will need to mow more frequently than others – it’s all about mowing less for longer. Even cutting down to mowing once a month can boost lawn biodiversity and help pollinators.
If you are leaving your lawn for nature all summer long, we know that the grassy growth might get away from you.
But many mowers can cope with taller vegetation, especially if you mow in 2 stages:
Firstly, check your lawn for wildlife – and never mow around the edges towards the centre, this leaves no escape route for wildlife. Instead, as you mow, progress gradually towards sanctuary areas such as uncut grass strips at boundaries.
Next, set the blades as high as possible then mow strips only half as wide as the mower. This will reduce the load on the mower’s engine and make the job easier. You can then re-pass as normal with blades set lower to finish the job. Alternatively, if you have one, a strimmer can be a better way to tackle a taller sward.
Remember to remove your grass cuttings after you’ve finished strimming or mowing to prevent nutrient build-up on lawns, which can be detrimental to many wild plants.
This can depend on many of different things from how nutrient– rich your garden is, to the PH of the soil and what has seeded there naturally over time.
Common flowers you can look for include the Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Creeping Buttercup, Daisy, Dandelion, Clover, Self–heal and speedwells.
The more you let nature back into your garden, the more likely you will be to see wildflowers in the future. However, if you want to encourage more wildflowers into your lawn, there are a few things you can do.
Read our Increase the Number of Wildflowers in your Lawn blog here to find out more.
Increase the Number of Wildflowers in Your Lawn – Plantlife
We know it’s not practical for everyone to leave their entire lawns all summer long – that’s why we recommend a mow-saic approach!
Traditional hay meadows are cut once in the summer and then kept short by grazing until April. This is the process we are trying to replicate in our green spaces, so ideally some mowing is needed.
Keeping some areas longer and some shorter is a great way to keep your garden accessible while benefitting wildlife But really, how long you want to go is up to you!
Lawns left long between April or May until mid July followed by simply mowing regularly afterwards, will go straight back to that green carpet look for the rest of the year.
However, if you choose to leave your lawn long right the way through the summer until September, it might start to affect the look. Leaving your lawn long for longer can create some tussocky grass as well as thatch (dead grass/plant material), though this can be raked away partially.
If want to find out if you’re lucky enough to have any late blooming wildflowers in your lawn, but you don’t want to affect the look long term, you could try alternating. One year you could cut in mid-July then the next you could leave your lawn until September.
While No Mow May has clear benefits for wildlife, we understand it can raise some concerns for people too. We don’t want to shy away from the questions or worries you might have—so below, we’ve addressed some of the most common ones.
No Mow May is good for wild plants but what about other wildlife? Longer grass can make the perfect hiding place for hedgehogs and bugs to take shelter. And we know that this causes concerns about the risks that animals could face when it comes time to mow.
Our advice is to work gradually parallel to shelter (such as borders and hedges), which the wildlife can move towards. So you are moving closer to the shelter one mower’s width at a time.
Work from paths and high footfall areas towards the boundaries to allow disturbed wildlife to move towards cover gradually. Never mow from the outside inwards. Making a first pass with a high blade setting on your mower will help to flush wildlife before making a lower -repass for a neater finish.
And before you mow, wildlife will thrive from the benefits of your mini meadows such as all of the nectar, pollen, shelter and structure wildflowers provides!
Grass pollen can definitely be a cause of hay fever but longer grass in May is unlikely to be a big driver of high pollen counts in your area.
We know how hard hay fever can be – and all allergies must be taken very seriously. We would not advocate any garden maintenance regime that negatively impacts on residents’ health.
The occurrence of ticks in gardens is increasing, so you should wear long trousers and examine yourself carefully for ticks whenever you’ve been in long grass or other long vegetation.
Ticks are very small insects that spread a serious bacterial infection called Lyme disease. The ticks live on mammals such as hedgehogs, badgers and foxes and then drop off into long grass and vegetation, where we can pick them up and become infected. If you are bitten by a tick look out for flu-like symptoms such as feeling hot and shivery, headaches, aching muscles or feeling sick, and a circular red rash around the tick bite.
In areas where ticks are prevalent, consider maintaining a shorter grass lawn mown once every four weeks. For more information see www.nhs.uk/conditions/lyme-disease and www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk
The National Museum of Scotland has transformed its collections centre into a haven for insects and local wildlife by taking part in the No Mow Movement. Learn how.
Our No Mow Movement might begin with May – but it’s just the start of the journey to manage our lawns for nature.
Follow our No Mow Movement Calendar below for all the tips and advice you need to give your lawn some flower power this year!
Did you know that our No Mow May campaign isn’t just about May? When we started our journey for nature friendly lawns back in 2018, we chose May as a starting point, to encourage people to think differently about the way they manage their lawns. But it’s just one month of a whole No Mow Movement. It’s all about encouraging people to mow less for longer.
Sometimes we need to start small, to make bigger changes in the long term. No Mow May is a way of dipping your toe into the no mow journey.
So however you choose to start or continue your No Mow Movement journey, you can find all the tips and advice you need in our calendar below.
Welcome to No Mow May!
It’s time for Let it Bloom June!
The sun is shining, the days are longer and our green fingers are ready to get stuck back in to some spring gardening.
Our gardens have the ability to become havens for nature. Increasing biodiversity, encouraging native wildflowers, letting our lawns grow wild and even planting mini meadows are all excellent ways to have a more nature-friendly garden.
As we enter spring, our minds are definitely turning to the jobs we can get stuck into in the garden, to get ready for a blooming good season.
Our Specialist Botanical Advisor Sarah Shuttleworth is on hand with expert advice for jobs you can do now.
Mow – sounds counter intuitive but actually if you can get the mower going over your lawn or No Mow May areas a couple of times before April/end of March then you will give the other species hiding amongst the grass more of a chance. This is particularly important if you have sown Yellow Rattle seed, although once you start finding the Yellow Rattle seedlings appear and are tall enough to be affected by a mow, then that’s the time to leave the mowing to allow them to grow.
No this doesn’t have anything to do with roofs. Sometimes our lawns and other grasslands can get a bit clogged up with dead plant material (known as thatch), like dead grass or old cuttings that didn’t all get picked up by the mower.
This thatch can reduce light levels to seeds waiting to germinate or other plants wanting to get growing in the spring, plus it can add nutrients to the soil, which might sound great, but not for native wildflowers trying to compete with the vigorous grasses.
Therefore during February and again next winter from autumn (although check for grassland fungi first, you don’t want to disturb them if you are lucky enough to have them in your green space) you want to rake out the thatch.
Maybe this will be your first year doing No Mow May, in which case you might want to spend a bit of time planning where you want to leave long all summer long, where you maybe want to mow monthly and where you want to have short or paths for walking around. You could draw up some designs even for creating wild and wonderful shapes. Or you could simply devote your entire lawn or green space to the way of the meadow!
If you don’t have a lawn, what about creating some meadow planters? Tubs, pots or deep trays could be sown in April with a meadow mix. This will ideally be one that is a mix of grasses and wildflower seeds, which will avoid gaps for weeds to arrive.
Remember our native meadows are mostly full of native perennial species (plants that live more than one year) rather than Cornflowers, Poppies and similar, which are annual species associated with disturbed soil like that of farmed fields.
* You can find a range of seeds at our shop here.
Leave the untidy corners and wild areas – it might be tempting to start tidying up the garden before the growing season starts, but these areas of leaf litter, twigs and longer grass along fences or hedges are perfect spots for insects, reptiles and amphibians to have been sheltering over winter. If you start to tidy it up too early you could be disturbing a slumbering creature that isn’t ready to spring into action until the weather starts warming up.
This also goes for the remnants of last years plants in your borders or pots. Sometimes these dead stems and leaves are perfect for insects to hide in whilst it’s cold and damp. Therefore leave these up all winter if you can and only ‘tidy’ up when the spring days are warm enough.
Often gardening tips to get your garden ready for spring, include prepping your lawn. The main focus of this is usually to feed your lawn, but this will only promote the vigorous grasses to out compete everything else, leaving the tiny speedwells, mouse-ears, and medicks getting crowded out!
Hopefully our top tips have given you some inspiration to get out and enjoy the spring sunshine while sprucing up your lawn or garden.
If you’re looking for more ways to move towards a more nature-friendly garden, why not join our No Mow May movement?
We’re encouraging everyone to join us in managing their lawns for nature throughout May and beyond! We’ll be ready to welcome you all to the growing #NoMowMay community from April 1, so make sure to head the page above for all the exciting updates!
Getting out and looking for fungi can be a great way to connect with nature and discover more about this amazing kingdom.
Here our Specialist Botanical Advisor, Sarah Shuttleworth, gives her top tips for finding fungi!
If like us, you love fungi – getting out and discovering all of the magnificent mushrooms you can find can be a really fun activity, and a great way to connect with nature!
Fungi don’t need to be scary, in fact, they can be just as fascinating for children as they are for adults. *Disclaimer: Picking a fungus can be done to help with identification. Never pick more than you need to, and avoid picking any rare or uncommon species. Looking for fungi can be a really fun activity, but make sure you know the rules of the sites you are visiting and always get permission for collecting from nature reserves or protected areas.
Whether you are brand new to the fungi kingdom and want some top tips to start your search, or maybe you have discovered our Waxcap Watch survey and want to know where to find grassland fungi to take part.
Below are some top tips of where to look and what you might find.
Woodlands are a great place to start your fungi interest as a huge proportion of fungi species are found in places with lots of trees. All the leaf litter, rotting wood and fallen branches are perfect places for fungi. When walking through a woodland look for any dead wood, fallen trees and stumps.
These areas are sure to have some fungi, maybe types of bracket fungi or clusters of yellow Sulphur Tufts or tiny little mushrooms peeping out from the moss. Sometimes under patches of bramble you can find little species hiding away or even on the rotting bramble stalks themselves. The best 4 trees to look under, whether in a woodland or a parkland, are:
These trees have many mycorrhizal associations with fungi, so often a good place to start looking.
If you are looking for a good selection of grassland species, especially the brightly coloured waxcaps and corals, then older, less intensively managed grasslands are the place to start.
Churchyards can be a good starting point, depending on how the grass has been managed over time, if it has lots of moss in the grass and doesn’t look too lush, then it might be quite old grassland.
Fields and lawns near big old houses can be good, again grasslands that don’t look too lush, like there is only one type of grass across the whole field and its very shiny looking grass (this might indicate that the grassland was ploughed and reseeded and then regularly fertilised, which waxcaps do not like).
Grassland, like that of playing fields, that is mown very regularly and the cuttings are left on the surface are not likely to be good for waxcaps, however you can still find fungi like Fairy Ring Champignon, which creates rings of mushrooms, which can be seen even when the fungi are not fruiting as the ring creates a different look to the grass. There will be other tiny little bonnets or bell fungi too, hard to identify, but fun to look at.
Shorter grass is also going to be more fruitful than areas with long tussocks that haven’t been cut or grazed for a year or more. Look for anthills, mossy patches, away from shading caused by trees or hedges. Sometimes you need to really look closely and move the grass out of the way to find them hiding in there.
Fungi underpin the health of our environment and are key to resolving the climate, ecological and societal challenges we face. Your donation could help increase understanding of fungi and get them the support they need.
Recent studies have revealed that there’s so much fungi out there that we don’t know about.
But how do we know this? Plantlife’s Rachel Inhester, from our science team, tells us why.
This incredible fact from the Kew report, ‘State of the World’s Plants and Fungi 2023’, highlights just how much there is to learn when it comes to fungi. That was certainly my first thought when I read this statement. It’s exciting to think of all the discoveries we have yet to make, and it gives an indication as to the huge amount of work ahead of us, to find and classify such a large number of unknown species. The report goes on to estimate that there are between 2-3 million species of fungi in the world, and as of yet, only 155,000 of those species have been formally named!
Fungi can be difficult to detect for a number of reasons:
As I was contemplating just how little we know about these extraordinary organisms; another thought came to mind. How can we estimate that 90% of fungal species are unknown to science? How did we come up with that number? In other words, how can we know what we don’t know?
Well, it turns out, that to arrive at such an estimate, you first need a team of fungal specialists, known as mycologists, and then you need the time and capacity to critically evaluate all the current knowledge on the topic so far. It was certainly no simple undertaking!
Past methods of calculating the number of fungal species, were not without issue, so the team of experts definitely had their work cut out for them. Previous estimates couldn’t be completely relied upon on their own. Sampling techniques varied and some fungal groups were not considered in certain studies. Some reports were simply outdated due to the discoveries that have been made since they were first published.
It’s important that we try to speed up this process so that we can understand the fascinating world of fungi around us. Fungi are interconnected with nearly all life on earth. They can improve nutrient uptake of plants, improve the immunity of their plant hosts against pathogens, they are biomass decomposers, and some species are used to make medicines [1].
The team of specialists decided to focus on 4 key academic areas to better estimate the number of expected species. These research areas were scaling laws, fungus to plant ratios, actual vs previously known species and DNA based studies.
Organisms are classified into 8 main levels or ‘taxa’. From highest to lowest, these taxa are: Domain – Kingdom – Phylum – Class – Order – Family – Genus – Species. This is a way of organising organisms into groups which become more inclusive with every level. Let’s use the Fly Agaric fungi as an example. At species level we simply have Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria). The Fly Agaric is an individual species, but individual species can belong to a larger group, or genus, in this case the genus Amanita. A genus is a grouping of similar species which all share a common ancestor. The groupings, or taxa, get progressively larger as you move up each level until you reach the levels of Kingdom and Domain. The Fly Agaric is part of the Fungi Kingdom which includes all other fungal species.
Scaling law studies aim to predict species diversity by looking at patterns in the numbers of ‘higher taxa’ and the number of known species in each.
In this case, information from the level of phylum (the third taxa) to genus (the seventh taxa) was used. Patterns in the numbers of these ‘higher taxa’ were compiled to predict fungal species diversity. Previous studies were assessed by the fungal experts, who adjusted the estimates to include recent discoveries and accurate numbers of known species.
Fungus to plant ratios have been estimated in multiple studies over the years and for a variety of habitats. Therefore, if we know the number of plant species, we can make a pretty good estimate as to the number of fungal species.
However, the fungal experts were still faced with challenges when examining previous research. Studies varied in how they calculated the ratios to begin with. Some only considered fungi with a known association to plants and other studies were much broader. Coupled with the fact that lots of fungi can be difficult to detect and may have no association with plants whatsoever, a lot of the predictions were considered an underestimate. On evaluating earlier research, the specialists felt that a ratio of 5:1, of fungi to plant species, in temperate areas and 4:1 in tropical locations, was more accurate than previous estimates.
Some species of fungi can be difficult to differentiate. This can cause an underestimation of species numbers as multiple species are occasionally classified as one and the same. The fungal experts examined a study which had investigated this in detail where they concluded that there were 11 times as many actual species compared with previously known species. Varying definitions of exactly what a species is, creates difficulty with this method of estimation.
DNA based methods have been an incredibly powerful tool in documenting fungal diversity around the world. A single sample can allow scientists to sequence the DNA of whole communities of fungi. These samples can come from a variety of places, including soil and deadwood. The samples are then analysed and any DNA within the sample is extracted and sequenced.
This DNA gives us a list of all the fungal species found in a sample, including species which we can’t even see, providing us with a more accurate representation of fungal species numbers.
For Kew’s report, it provided the final piece of the puzzle in answering the question of ‘how many species of fungi do we think there are globally?’.
Using all the information and research available to them, the fungal experts refined their predictions and came up with an estimate of 2.5 million species of fungi worldwide! [2]
So there really was a lot of work that went into this seemingly impossible estimation. As it stands, this estimate reveals how many species we have yet to discover.
At this time, around 2,500 new species of fungi are identified and described each year. And if the above estimate is accurate, that would mean waiting 750-1000 years for us to find and describe the rest. [2]
As we discover more species, we shall hopefully uncover more benefits of the fungi around us, as well as conserving as many species as possible before we potentially lose them forever.
Creating a meadow, but not sure what machinery is best – we have the answers for you, no matter the size of your meadow.
No matter the size of your meadow – whether it’s a small lawn, a community field or acres of farmland – you will need to think about equipment. All types of machinery have their advantages and disadvantages, but which combinations you use largely depends on the equipment you already have and the size of your meadow.
Today, a growing number of lawns and smaller green spaces are being turned into meadows, without the aid of big machinery and livestock.
Mowing and then removing the clippings, mimics the hay cutting and grazing cycles used on larger sites. Many spaces – including lawns, school grounds, road verges, graveyards and fields under a hectare – are being managed in this way. Follow this wheel below for a year in the life of small meadow management:
What is it used for?
Cutting and removing grass at the end of the summer to mimic a hay cut.
How to use it
Best to start with the cutting blades set as high as possible and cut several times, lowering the cutting height each time.
Top tip
Best if the grass box is not attached for the first couple of cuts and raked by hand after each cut.
Creating bare ground (before sowing the seed).
Rake off all the dead grass and thatch after scarifying.
Suited to smaller sites such as gardens, verges and green spaces. Available through most plant and machinery hire shops.
Annual cut of small meadows in gardens or green spaces or for creating bare ground.
Strim area as short as possible and rake off all the cuttings.
Can be used to create bare ground if using strimmer with a cord.
Creating bare ground and managing small meadows .
A metal rake can be used to remove clippings after the grass has been cut. A soil rake is good for removing building up of mossy thatch at the base.
Remove all the raked material before it rots down and the nutrients enrich the soil.
Cutting large meadows that are too small for farm machinery or have limited access.
These are also useful where steep slopes preclude any ride-on machinery.
Available through most plant and machinery hire shops.
This machinery is designed to fit on the back of a tractor and for field-scale meadow management for sites bigger than one hectare. As a farmer or landowner, it is likely that you will have this equipment readily available, but this guidance will help with the best ways of utilising it for meadow creation. If not, nearby farmers or land managers might be able to help you out with borrowing equipment.
All of these types of the equipment should be used in conditions that are not too wet or too dry, to avoid damage and compaction to the soil.
Useful for pulling out thatch, particularly in ungrazed meadows. Ideally before creating bare ground for sowing wildflowers in a field with existing grass – or if problem plants exist just use this.
They pull out the thatch of dead grass and moss that can build up in meadows, to expose the bare ground. Remember to keep the tines clear so that they function at their best.
Note that it’s often most effective to overlap half way onto each previous strip, so that all areas receive a double-harrow pass. Also consider passing again in the opposite direction.
They work well in sites which have previously had problem plants – because they only scratch the surface and are less likely to awaken seeds from the past. This should be done when the soil is neither too dry nor too wet, and when weather is mild.
Creating a lot of bare ground, quickly.
Care must be taken not to power the harrow too deep – aim for a setting of no more than 1” deep, not a standard agricultural operation.
They must only be used in meadows already with very short grass and lacking problem plants present recently or seed bank. This should be done when the soil is neither too dry nor too wet, and when weather is mild.
These tools are best used for creating bare ground.
They work best on slightly soft ground with very short grass.
They are less effective than power or tine harrows, so the meadow will need to be chain-harrowed several times. This should be done when the soil is neither too dry nor too wet, and when weather is mild.
Cutting meadows, as part of the hay making process.
It is used for spreading grass around the meadow.
The grass is spread around the meadow, to aid drying during hay making.
Can be used for spreading green hay out if this is used as a seed source for meadow creation.
Baling the hay in traditional hay meadow management.
Collects previously cut, turned, dried long grass/hay, and shapes it into compact large rounds or small squares.
Round balers need the bales to be moved by a tractor, whereas small square bales can be easily moved by hand.
These tools are used for cutting and collecting at the same time.
Cutting and removing the annual grass growth in a meadow where it’s not possible to make hay.
They are increasingly being used to manage road verges and smaller meadows, where it is not practical to make hay or graze livestock.
Straw choppers are used for spreading green hay bales out.
A much spreader is used for spreading green hay.
To use a muck spreader, drive slowly across the field.
Green hay should be spread as quickly as possible, to avoid over heating.
Wildflower meadows can sometimes take a while to really bloom, but with careful management, it’s definitely worth the wait.
Read on to learn how to manage a meadow and about different meadow types.
So, you’ve started growing wildflowers on your land or community meadow – but how do you help this flower-filled show return every year?
Wildflower meadows can take a while to really bloom, but following these simple steps will ensure your meadow thrives with beautiful and diverse plants again and again. The essentials for every meadow are sun, soil, some rain and management – and while the equipment can vary, the processes are similar regardless of the size of your meadow.
There are 6 main things to think about (in chronological order):
A traditional meadow is a field or grassy area where the grasses and wildflowers are allowed to grow unhindered until they are cut, usually for hay, in the late summer.
A meadow or pasture? Just as the word woodland is used to describe many types of wood, we now often use the word meadow to describe many different types of flower-rich grassy places. This includes pastures, which are maintained by grazing. The grass is kept in balance by careful grazing with a small number of animals which are moved around throughout the year. This extensive grazing allows pastures and grasslands to support abundant flowers without a hay cut.
Types of pastures:
When we imagine a flower-rich hay meadow we are usually thinking about a lowland neutral meadow. Neutral meadows, with a mixture of grasses and flowers reaching knee to waist-high in summer, are rooted in soil that’s neither too acidic nor too alkaline.
Plants to spot – Cowslip, Oxeye Daisy, Buttercup, Scabious, Betony, Clover, Vetch, Knapweed and Lady’s Bedstraw.
These meadows can support magnificent displays of orchids, especially Green-winged Orchid and Common Spotted-orchid. Yellow Rattle and eyebrights also play a crucial role by helping to keep the grass down. Thanks to these species and the infertile soil, the delicate grasses (like Sweet Vernal Grass, Quaking Grass and Crested Dog’s-tail) allow plenty of room for wildflowers to grow.
Go and explore lowland wet and dry meadow at Three Hagges Woodmeadow Nature Reserve.
On wetter soils where rivers break their banks in winter, floodplain meadows develop where the soil is deeper and more fertile. This habitat supports quite tall and lush vegetation.
Plants to spot – Cuckooflower, Ragged Robin, Meadowsweet, Great Burnet, Snake’s-head Fritillary and Meadow Foxtail.
In slightly wetter spots, Amphibious Bistort and Marsh Marigold can thrive and in ancient floodplain meadows with less fertile soils delicate pepper saxifrage can be supported.
Go and explore floodplain meadow at Lugg Meadow Nature Reserve in Herefordshire or Long Herdon and Grange Meadows in Buckinghamshire.
In areas of northern Britain, upland hay meadows thrive with very distinctive flora, providing a home for hundreds of plants species, that not only help wildflowers, but also local wildlife. At peak times, these traditional meadows are full of life – from bees and butterflies to birds and small mammals.
Although not as species-rich as their lowland counterparts, they can be truly spectacular.
Plants to spot – Wood Crane’s-bill, Melancholy Thistle, Bistort, Great Burnet, Buttercup, Red Clover, Yellow Rattle and Eyebright.
The colourful tapestry of hay meadows is often softened by the white frothy flowers of Pignut and rarely, species of Lady’s Mantle nestle among the grasses.
Go and explore neutral hay meadow at Caeau Tan y Bwlch in Gwynedd orhay meadow at Joan’s Hill Farm Nature Reserve in Herefordshire.
Also known as culm grassland in south-west England and Rhôs pasture in Wales, Purple Moor-grass Rush pasture is found on poorer soils in western areas.
Plants to spot – Purple Moor-grass, Rush, Ragged-Robin, Devil’s-bit Scabious, Whorled Caraway, Lesser Spearwort, Sneezewort and Marsh Orchid.
This is a particularly good habitat for other wildlife including reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and breeding wading birds.
Flower-rich pasture meadows were once a common feature of grazing land, but today only a tiny fraction remain. These vibrant and beautiful grasslands were traditionally used for keeping small herds of cows or horses. A lot of pasture across the UK has been agriculturally ‘improved’ by draining, ploughing, fertilising and reseeding. This means many of these sites have lost most of their ecological integrity. Wildflowers often struggle because the nutrient levels are higher, and the underground fungal networks and seed banks will largely be absent due to ploughing and chemical treatment. Flower-rich pasture meadows can be managed with livestock or cutting.
Go and explore neutral pasture at Cae Blaen-dyffryn Nature Reserve in Carmarthenshire or Culm grassland at Greena Moor in Cornwall.
Some of the most spectacular wildflower habitats can be found on well drained, alkaline soil that develops on top of chalk and limestone rocks. This grassland can support an astonishing 50 species in a single square metre.
Plants to spot – Wild Thyme, Lady’s Bedstraw, Salad Burnet, Common Rockrose, Marjoram, Harebell and Small Scabious.
But in fact, it’s the rare and unusual flowers that make these meadows so exciting including Orchid, Gentian, Milkwort, Vetch and Pasqueflower.
Go and explore limestone pasture at Winskill Stones Nature Reserve in north Yorkshire or chalk grassland at Ranscombe Farm in Kent.
One of our most widespread, but perhaps unappreciated grasslands is acid grassland. They can be found on acid soils of hills, mountains and fells, as well as overlying acidic lowland rocks such as sandstone and shale.
Plants to spot – Tormentil, Heath Bedstraw, Mouse-eared Hawkweed, Heath Milkwort and Sheep’s Sorrel.
Grasses such as Bent, Fescue, Early Hair-grass, Heath-grass, Sweet Vernal Grass, Mat-grass and Wavy Hair-grass.
Occasionally other wildflowers like Heath Spotted-orchid, Betony and Autumn Hawkbit can be seen in abundance, as well as patches of Harebell.
Timings can vary, but hay meadows need cutting when the grass is high and ripe. To help local insects, it is good to leave an unmown strip around the edge of your meadow as a forage and refuge resource for birds and invertebrates. For smaller grassy areas the hay meadow can be cut with a mower and for larger community meadows or pony paddocks, a tractor with a drum or disc mower can be used.
When possible, bringing animals in to graze the new grass a few weeks after cutting can really help wildflowers. Normally the livestock need to be removed by the end of February to allow flowers like cuckooflower and cowslip to bloom, and the seedlings of Yellow Rattle to get going. The meadow should then be left alone throughout spring and summer or until most of the plants have flowered and set seed.
Your go-to guide for transforming places into flower-rich meadows
From citizen science and volunteering, to making space for nature and forging a deeper connection with it – conservation is for everyone.
Nature needs our help. The UK’s plant species are in decline, and 1 in 6 wildlife species are at risk of extinction.
But, there is so much hope. We have been involved in a number of projects that have brought species back from extinction, helped protect species on the edge and encouraged thousands to let their lawns grow wild for nature. And the good news is, everyone can help.
So, to celebrate World Nature Conservation Day, held annually on 28 July, we are sharing ideas on how you can protect nature. Whether you’re a landowner or someone without a garden – there are ways for everyone to get involved.
Within the world of conservation there are many ways to volunteer your time, and we have opportunities out in the field, or even from home. We currently have a team of dedicated volunteers that support us with conservation work, botanical surveys and on our website – there’s something for everyone.
For example, we are currently looking for volunteers for a working group in Wales at the Plantlife Cae Blaen Dyffryn Reserve near Lampeter. Depending on the time of year you could be helping with scrub control or conducting botanical and habitat surveys. Find out more about volunteering with us here.
And of course you don’t have to volunteer through us, there are many other charities in the conservation sector you could opt for.
Hear from our volunteer Jane in the video below.
The National Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS) is a national project that sees hundreds of citizen scientists heading out to take part in botanical surveys. These surveys continue to provide a growing dataset across the UK, enabling us to study the abundance and diversity of plants through time, within 30 different habitatsThe NPMS, which is a partnership of between us at Plantlife and BSBI, UKCEH, and the JNCC, encourages people to conduct surveys twice a year to provide data that helps us study the abundance and diversity of plants over time.
You don’t need a botanical background to get started. as there are different levels to choose from, with beginners asked to record just 10 to 15 common and easily identifiable species at each plot.Find out more on our website here, or visit NPMS here to join.
Thousands of people already take part in No Mow May and No Mow Summer each year, to leave parts of their lawns wild for nature.
Lawns can sometimes be overlooked, but they are full ecosystems right out of our front doors. From the variety of grasses you can find, to the pretty wildflowers that pop up and the insects and pollinators that rely on these areas, to the realm of fungi and microbes that live among the roots. We know you might not be able to leave your whole lawn all summer, but reserving areas for a wilder lawn can make a huge difference.
Read our full lawn management guide here.
Whether it’s by spending a virtual minute in a meadow with our video below, or heading to your local nature reserve – connecting with nature is so important.
The health of nature and our own health and wellbeing are intrinsically linked. There are countless studies that show the benefits time in nature can have – from lower stress levels, to improved mood and mental health.
For more ideas, visit our Explore the Outdoors page here and discover more of the magical world of wild plants and fungi.
We are lucky to have some incredibly special native species right on our doorstep, and with nature in decline, sewing the seeds of native wildflowers can go a long way to help. These varieties have evolved in unison with our wildlife, so our pollinators and insects will thank you too.
Some species to consider including are Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor, Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis, and Sweet Violet Viola odorata. It’s always best to get your seeds locally if possible (try asking landowners if you can collect seeds with their permission), but we also have a number of seed packs available in our shop. From the perfect plants for ponds, to wildflower mixtures and individual species – visit our shop here.
If you’re interested in using native wildflowers to create a pollinator friendly garden, you can read our full guide here.
Every day, our wild plants and fungi are put at risk from planning decisions, chemical sprays and more. But hope is not lost. If you see nature in danger, there are a number of things that you can do to help protect the plants and fungi in your community.
From being aware of the species in your area and helping to record them, to raising any concerns with your local planning authority or elected councillors – you can help stand up for wildlife.
Read our guide here to stand up for nature.
We know that nature can help boost our wellbeing, but it can also improve connection to our communities.
One way to share the love of nature is to start a community meadow. Not only will you encourage more plant and animal wildlife to your local area, but you can enjoy time outdoors, make new friends and share the importance of nature.
Community meadows can help pollinators, store carbon, provide green spaces for everyone to enjoy and tackle biodiversity loss.
Read our guide on how to start a community meadow here.
Agricultural grasslands dominate Wales’ rural landscape. Finding ways to restore species-rich habitats to farms is a priority for Plantlife Cymru.
Chris Jones, the Warden of Kenfig National Nature Reserve, recently found the very rare fungus, during a routine survey.
Plantlife and WWF study on grassland demonstrate how wild plants and fungi are at the heart of climate crisis. Calling world governments to recognise sites for wild plants and fungi
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