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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
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!).
Plantlife's Road Verges Advisor Mark Schofield reveals how to keep your thriving No Mow May flowering lawn blossoming into June.
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.
It’s not just wildflowers which benefit from not mowing our lawns this May. Pollinators and other wildlife bring our gardens to life!
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!
A journey to return one of the UK's rarest wildflowers to the wild has made a major step to success.
From the wildflowers in our meadows, to the shrubs in our hedgerows, and the blooms in our gardens – pollinators play a pivotal role.
Eager to get more bees and butterflies into your garden? Follow our pollinator-friendly tips!
Our plants and pollinators go hand in hand. You might have heard how important pollinators are to our food crops, but did you know they are just as vital for the rest of our plants? From the wildflowers in our meadows, to the shrubs in our hedgerows, and our garden blooms, to our ancient woodlands – pollinators play a pivotal role.
Unfortunately, some populations of pollinators in the UK are now in decline. While there is no one answer to the cause of this drop in numbers, habitat loss is certainly high on the list. Which is why it’s so important that there are moments like Bees Needs Week or National Meadows Day (on the first Saturday in July) that spotlight the incredible meadows and flower-rich grasslands that are home to pollinators.
Plantlife, and other environmental and farming organisations, are calling on the UK Government to prioritise action for these habitats by committing to developing a Grassland Action Plan.
Read more below to find out how you can get involved.
Whilst some pollinators are more well known than other, a wide range of insects and other animals can also fall under the umbrella because they move pollen to fertilise plants.
Here is a list of common pollinators in the UK, some you might already be familiar with, while others are a little more unusual:
By making small changes to how you manage your lawn, you can make a huge difference to nature. As well encouraging a more species-rich green space for you to enjoy, wilder lawns can also be havens to other wildlife, including our pollinators.
Follow our expert guide to managing a nature friendly lawn here, or find more information here on how to encourage more wildflowers into your garden.
Pollinators love some of our common lawn species including White Clover Trifolium repens, Dandelion Taraxacum officinale and Daisy Bellis perennis. Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor is also a firm favourite and can help to suppress the growth of grasses to allow room for other species and wildflowers to grow.
It’s important to remember that butterflies and bees feed on pollen and nectar, so choosing plants that are rich in both will help to provide a full feast for our insect friends.
These plants are favourites among some of our common pollinators and could be good to include in your garden. Click through to our species pages to learn more.
The ‘June Gap’, refers to the time in the year when the spring flowers are fading but the summer ones have not yet reached their peak, which means nectar and pollen can be harder to find.
Here are some plants that can help to bridge this gap and brighten your garden at the same time:
You don’t have to have your own garden to lend a helping hand to pollinators. There’s several ways you can still get involved, including by making your own mini meadow.
Plant pots by the door, hanging baskets along your walls or window boxes all make great options to increase the biodiversity in your area, even without a garden. Have a look at the suggestions above for ideas of what to plant, harvest your own seeds, or even buy our Perfect for Pollinators seed mix here to get started.
Why not share the joy of creating a nature-friendly space and start a community meadow? This is not only a great way of bringing attention to plants and pollinators in your area, but it’s also a fun way to get to know your neighbours. Find out more in our guide to getting started here.
Thousands of people across the country have let it grow for #NoMowMay this year.
Our gardens have bloomed with wildflowers and grasses and we’ve seen our green spaces grow beautifully wild – all to give nature the boost it deserves.
Every No Mow May lawn is different and perhaps that’s what makes them so beautiful. But we are all connected by a common goal…to leave space for nature.
Thank you to everyone who has taken part in No Mow May, we hope you’ve enjoyed watching your gardens and green spaces bloom. Whether you left your whole garden to grow, kept a section short, had a go at growing a wildflower meadow or just left a space to grow wild – it all makes a difference.
We’ve absolutely loved looking through all the pictures you’ve sent in and following your #NoMowMay journeys on social media. Please keep them coming!
Since the 1930s, we’ve lost approximately 97% of flower-rich meadows and with them gone are vital food needed by pollinators like bees and butterflies.
And with 1 in 5 British wildflowers under threat, it more important than ever to change the way we manage our gardens. A healthy lawn or green space with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground.
There are more than 20 million gardens in the UK, so even the smallest grassy patches can add up to a significant proportion of land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate.
Here are some of our favourite No Mow May-ers from 2024!
A beautiful No Mow May lawn, filled with Bulbous Buttercup and Meadow Saxifrage. Credit: David and Annette Beeson
No Mow May isn’t just for gardens, green spaces all over the community can take part. This cemetery in Suffolk has been boasting buttercups and Meadow Saxifrage. Credit: Alison Barnes
To help nature, you don’t have to leave your whole garden to grow wild. Keeping some areas of your lawn short can help flowers like daisies and dandelions, as well as an abundance of wildlife.
The explosion of colour No Mow May can create can be a haven for us, and for nature.
Green spaces left to grow wild have bloomed with daisies and dandelions, providing a feast for pollinators.
Even if you don’t have a garden, many parks around the country are leaving sections of green space to grow for No Mow May – just like this park in Wales.
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.
Calan Mai, the Welsh celebration of summer on May 1st, revives the importance of seasonal living and reminds us that our lives have always been connected with the yearly cycles of plant abundance.
Artificial lawns are an increasingly common sight , but what is the impact on our environment with this new plastic grass?
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