Lawns can be ‘flower-rich’ if you avoid doing 1 common task in April and May

Experts advise avoiding one common lawn care mistake in spring to encourage wildflowers, bees and butterflies in your garden

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While a wildflower-filled lawn may not suit everyone’s tastes, many gardeners are keen to pack their outdoor spaces with blooms, or dedicate a designated patch to wildflowers in order to attract vital pollinators. However, there is one common error that could be preventing flowers from taking hold in your lawn.

Lawn specialists at the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) have recommended steering clear of excessive mowing in spring if you are hoping to encourage wildflowers to flourish, even suggesting that regular mowing be held off until summer.

The experts explained: “With a conventional lawn, mow once a fortnight or once a week, depending on growth.

“For a flower-rich lawn or wildflower meadow, leave uncut in spring to provide much-needed support to pollinators and a welcome break from mowing.”

While a couple of mows in April may be tempting, they advise giving the lawnmower a rest entirely in May, referring to the month as “no mow May”.

As the name implies, this simply means refraining from mowing throughout May, allowing wild plants already present in your garden to grow and come into bloom.

You can choose to leave your entire lawn untouched, or alternatively set aside just one section to remain uncut for wildflowers.

Regular fortnightly mowing can then resume in June, or later still if preferred.

No Mow May was established in 2019 by UK conservation charity Plantlife, noted the Express, with the aim of tackling the devastating decline of flower-rich meadows – of which 97 per cent have disappeared since the 1930s.

The pledge urges gardeners to leave their lawnmowers in the shed throughout May.

Plantlife campaigners say: “No Mow May is one of the easiest ways to help the environment – letting wildflowers like daisies, dandelions and clovers grow while supporting bees and butterflies.

“Even small wild patches add up to make a huge difference to nature.”