No Mow May
No Mow May
I have just come back from the New Forest Centenery site What can i say about the site It looks a mess grass not cut between the pitches grass pitches absolutley terrible this is the second year they have done this. Even some of the wardens aggree that it should be cut. Antbody else got views on this. Is this the only site to do this.
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No they are not the only site we were on Putts Corner site last Autumn it was awful and looked like no mow season also very untidy to look at plus weeds all over the hardstandings also the opposite at Exebridge site was immaculate and site staff said they were not doing no mow May.
I can understand certain areas of the sites but not around the pitches as a lot of sites have a wildlife area which is a better idea and also see wildflowers growing.
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I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, folk have to understand the concept first, the work involved and find those right areas to ‘manage’ accordingly. Even those areas left during May (Spring) need cutting and caring for to maintain the best for wildflowers and wildlife. Meadows need cutting at least once during the season and timing of those cuts is important, I think that some just see the lazy option and they gives the initiative a bad name. When it’s done properly it benefits and most importantly nature, it can look great. Hopefully more will make the effort to do it properly.
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I think no mow May is a great idea when it's suitable and applicable!
For some it's a great excuse to be lazy...... The contractors for our parish council tried it last year. What a mess. New contractors now.
That's not to say there isn't a place for it. But road sides need to have clear vision. Anywhere where the grass is used, such a pitches etc need to be fit for purpose. A set aside piece can be very beneficial and needn't just be May 😉
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Just driven south from Harlech to St David’s. The authorities along the way are doing a sterling job along the roads here. All road junctions and areas needing clear visibility have, and were being cut for obvious reasons. Where able the road verges have been left for nature. Unfortunately some councils elsewhere in the UK see such management as primarily a cost cutting exercise and have little understanding of it and a lack of willingness to do it properly. I also think some with a different viewpoint deliberately malign the idea of NMM in an attempt to justify their own agenda. We currently face an ecological crisis which will impact heavily on farming and food production unless we make more space for diversity and natural balance. Finding areas like roadsides, where appropriate, could be a part of the solution but it must be done for the right reasons and done correctly.
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Interesting debate last week in parliament. Lots of the right sounds but little action so far. Unfortunately some backward steps recently with regard to the u-turn on neonicotinoid use in the UK.
https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/cd34c7a4-a78f-454d-8b79-da90c2cddfb9?in=09:30:14
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I can't remember where but I am sure someone posted a picture of a campsite pitch (CMC) which showed the ideal combination of neatness around the the pitch but also showed where the grass had been left to grow. It was clearly managed and I can't imagine anyone would object. Here in MK all the major grid roads were built with wide corridors, the original purpose being to enable two way roads to be easily converted to dual carriageway. Interestingly, despite the growth in population that has not transpired so we have wide expanses of grass which can be and are, left un-mowed. There is quite a lot of evidence of wild flowers growing. I don't mind that but my tidy mind likes the first metre from the road mown in the usual way which they do usually do. It would be the same if I was on a campsite.
David
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No mow May is virtue signalling at its worst. It is imposed by Gaurdianista urbanites with little real understanding of wildlife seeking to impose their views on other urbanites who swallow it all up. In reality for most organisations it’s a cover for saving money. If it cost more to follow this nonsense I doubt we would see any of it. Bee and insect attracting wildflowers do not suddenly sprout overnight because the grass isn’t cut for a month. Utter nonsense.
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Flatcoat said:- wildflowers do not suddenly sprout overnight because the grass isn’t cut for a month
My own observations would suggest that is not correct. In areas around MK where the verges have not been cut wild flowers do appear pretty quickly. So it would seem that allowing verges to grow uncut even for a short period does seem to produce flowering plants that would otherwise be cut off in their prime?
David
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I think the overall objective of "No Mow May" is to implant the idea that tidy is not always good. That it's a good idea to leave some areas uncultivated for insects and flowers etc. Not necessarily in May, but all year round.
No Mow May is just a slogan - shorthand for the ethos.
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Many wildflower rich meadows require at best just two cuts a year to maintain the diversity and suppress the more dominant plants . One cut in April and one in September. The best time not to cut is between May and late July. These areas need not look untidy, just allowed to flower and seed themselves. So a no mow time from May through to September would be ideal but may just be tad too long for some folk. The four weeks of May is better than none mind.
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I think it’s more to do with a proper understanding of nature, like those held by our previous generations. It’s about allowing those existing pollen and nectar rich flowers the chance to grow, flower and set seed. This in turn hopefully enriches the landscapes biodiversity. Furthermore, some farmers/authorities/councils are now sowing wildflower seed mixtures across their properties to enrich the environment, particularly where over mowing has depleted and damaged that which was the natural diversity to such a degree that an almost monoculture of species of little value exists.
Some of course, for their own reasons, take a rather cynical view to any attempt to resolve the potentially dire situation we now face. A minimum four week mowing hiatus gives at least a fighting chance to those important flora species to propagate themselves and assist those crucial agriculture requirements of pollination. Of course we could do better, what solutions do you have, if any? Maybe we ought to lengthen the no mow period to better help the situation.2 -
There's (among others) yellow rattle, buttercup, red clover, plantain & mouse-ear chickweed. Though, there’s over 100 different species in here.There's about 15 acres - to be made into hay in a couple of months.
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Interesting article here about herbal leys and wildflower rich meadow seed mixes for farms and farmers who are willing and able to invest in all, including nature, our futures. Also both an educational and informative read for non farming folk, both urban and rural.
Looks like a good deal of research is going on.
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Our authority doesn’t cut the majority of grass verges, but they are managed carefully so that a wide range of wildflowers and seed bearing grasses can flourish year after year. They usually look wonderful if weather conditions are right. Late in the season, “sight mowing” is done to keep road users safe, but the majority of growth is left to self seed, then scarifying and prep for the next year is done. No Mow, doesn’t mean no work, but the results are often spectacular, and benefit both humans and wildlife.
Clumber Site had big areas of grass left long, un mown with lots of wildflowers in there, on our last visit. The grass strips aren’t suitable really to leave long, so it’s a good compromise.From an insect/bird/wildlife point of view, what is the common sense of setting a strict timetable around one month of growth, which is going to be subject to all sorts of variables, and then hammering that same patch with a mower🤷♀️ Some things shouldn’t be taken literally.
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Beautiful Goldie👏👏 I am guessing it’s an old field, carefully managed?
We used to love walking the footpaths along the edges of some of the beautiful meadow fields in Cornwall, full of colour and insects.
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The other day we cycled through the outskirts of Deeside Industrial Park to get from one part of an off road cycle ride to another. Some of the land set aside hasn't been used or built on and the areas chain link fenced off. Other areas where large factories like a Toyota plant and Tata steelworks operated had roadside verges. There was even a new orchard that had been planted for nature to use. What struck us was the variety of flowers that could be seen on these verges and unused areas. It was obvious no concerted effort was made to spray as we saw a variety of insect life feasting on them.
On the unused land birds such as Skylarks had made their nests.
Nature will soon find those spaces that benefit them. They're not worried about "the visuals".
Well done Goldie and family.
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You are so right TtDA & WN, it shouldn’t be taken too literally and it , NMM, certainly doesn’t mean a total abstinence from management. One of the best things to have happened since its inception is the fact that people are now talking about it, discussing it and acting upon it. I remember the bleak days of the 80s and 90s when, save for the enlightened few, much of our public owned spaces around us were mown and sprayed to within an inch of their lives. Thankfully people today are better informed and doing their bit to help. Today I visited the city of St David’s where a community programme has actively encouraged all residents to sow wild flower mixes within their properties. In fact every resident was give a packet of wild flower seeds and advice on sowing a few years back. Looking around the city and beyond there are wildflowers everywhere to be seen. A joy to behold.
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Doesn’t have to be “wildflowers”. My garden is planted up with insect attractive flowers, and you can hear the “buzz, whirr, buzz” all day long. Lavender, nepeta, Scabious, Buddhlia, Carnations, Roses, Snapdragons, etc….. My neighbour, (who is absolutely lovely) has a very wild garden, but there’s little colour and potential for nectar and pollen. It’s all grass, nettles, and ruddy bindweed, which is choking the life out of most things. No management at all sadly. I have nettle patches, leave mixed hedges to grow during peak nesting times, and there’s plenty of water and insect friendly wood piles. Since we have lived here, we have shared our garden with dozens of birds species, foxes, hedgehogs, bats, owls on a regular basis. I suspect next door is a rat haven, but it’s too overgrown to tell🤣
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Yes, many garden plants are cultivars of our wild species and can be beneficial. However, some introduced garden plants, mainly foreign ones, have little, often no eco value in the UK. Some like rhododendrons and, to a lesser degree, azalea can be a threat to our habitats and provide nothing for insects and our fauna . Apparently our insects do not have the mouthparts to reach the nectar in rhododendron and the nectar produced is poisonous to our creatures. They are also incredibly invasive.
Some of our wild flora also have specific symbiotic relations within their habitats which are complex. Boring to some I’m sure but fascinating to others. One in five of Britain's wildflower species is threatened with extinction and we’ve lost some already, it would be a shame to loose more, wouldn’t it?Some good news mind
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Yes, there’s few things more uplifting than a lovely old meadow full of wildflowers. I am not keen on Rhododendrons, I remember the huge under taking to clear them out of Snowdonia many years ago, and it’s seems an ongoing battle for many NT properties. Nice if well controlled, places like Lanhydrock and Heligan, but not if left to go wild. It’s all about management really, and making the right choices.
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Out on our walks this week, what stunning places we have seen along the Welsh Coastal Path and so many wild flowers.
Just a tad disappointing to see several dogs running and chasing each other whilst off the lead across the National Trust headlands despite the notices to keep them on leads. Potentially lots of ground and shrub nesting birds were disturbed. Some folk just don’t care!
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Out in the garden today I noticed that the Bees were almost as one in choosing "Granny's Bonnet" Aquilegia for their nectar. We let these self seed, and boy do they take advantage, but are easy to pull out of areas where we dont want them.
Unfortunately our newly planted Lavender will take time to establish itself. We were sorry to see the previous succumb to the damp weather as it was an insect magnet.
Good idea for St.Davids Micky.
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Many areas around the UK are reporting great things happening around and about, both urban and rural, as a result of a growing involvement in NMM. Good to see one of my favourite nature presenters endorsing the project, well done Iolo Williams and all involved. Warwick Council obviously learnt from previous years and improved their approach to the concept.👍
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The Scam of No Mow May has been around for a while.......
We joke with our groundsman in work that he can't/won't cut the grass between September and April because he says it is too wet. Then it's No Mow May, then he takes his holidays in June, July & August so basically we are lucky if he cuts the grass twice in a year....!
But the latest scam on club sites seems to be Dark Skies - the excuse to endanger H & S and Security by saving a bit on the site electric bill.....
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Very please to read in the C&MC July magazine (page 8) that the club will, in addition to supporting NMM, will now adopt an all year round approach to managing appropriate areas around their sites. A wildflower regenerative approach is also being trialed at the Moreton in Marsh site. Exciting news and well done the club!
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