No mow May

[malumbu]

Hopefully some of you are up for this.  I planted a small meadow a few years ago, hard work on these heavy clay soils.  The start is planting yellow rattle, but I've spent tens of pounds on seeds and plugs over the years and only a few species are successful - ox eye daisy, purple and white clover, with the daisies, buttercups and dandelions that many consider weeds.

It's going to be tough doing MMM as I have not mowed over much of the lawn this year, so it will need one hell of a trim in June. Apart from the meadow that is cut three times a year by hand.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

 

No mow May has been great in past years - so many daisies and other flowers instead of sterile green grass. I think Dulwich Estate has been doing it recently 👏 👏 

[malumbu]

Camberwell Old Cemetery weren't this morning, oddly out with strimmers near the meadow area;,but.... It's generally a haven for wildlife so can be forgiven 😊

[Sue]

2 hours ago, malumbu said:

Hopefully some of you are up for this.  I planted a small meadow a few years ago, hard work on these heavy clay soils.  The start is planting yellow rattle, but I've spent tens of pounds on seeds and plugs over the years and only a few species are successful - ox eye daisy, purple and white clover, with the daisies, buttercups and dandelions that many consider weeds.

It's going to be tough doing MMM as I have not mowed over much of the lawn this year, so it will need one hell of a trim in June. Apart from the meadow that is cut three times a year by hand.

You are lucky to have such a big garden!

I am rethinking my tiny garden to have more wild flowers - or at least to let more of them stay rather than "weeding" them out (I'm looking at you, dandelions and Spanish bluebells) or but there's no way it is big enough to have a meadow! 

Easy to do No Mow May though, as there's nothing to mow!

[intexasatthe moment]

I'm watching a neighbours lawn where the grass is hourly increasing in height .Wondering how on earth they are going to tackle cutting it .

[Angelina]

mine's the same - use shears, then mow, but I only do a part of the lawn - the rest is covered in daisies, violets and other flowers, so I leave it.

I have to be very careful though - we have slow worms 

 

Edited May 6, 2025 by Angelina

[Mabaker]

I have no lawn but still trying to get wild flowers to germinate. After a couple of years sowing seeds I've finally managed to produce some ox eye daisies. Still trying to succeed with cornflowers, vipers bugloss to name but a few. A couple of foxgloves are coming up. Its a gradual process for which we need lots of patience. Don't forget after No Mow May it's Let it Bloom June.

[malumbu]

Back garden mowed on Monday, some of it for the first time this year.  Not a lot of interest in this grassland, but hoping for the promised rain this week as it needs it.  We use no tap water in the garden apart from conditioner tap water for the pond when rainwater storage runs out, very early this year.

Purple clover, buttercups, rattle and ox eye daisies looking great in the front.  Seeds sown did not germinate due to lack of spring rain.  The meadow will be cut by hand when flowers die back, white clover will be out shortly and cutting the rest back may encourage the purple clover to flower again.  Loads of bees 

Fun time is when the grasshoppers appear.  

[Angelina]

We have found 3 stag beetles in the old tree stump, and single nesting bees in the grass, so we're still not mowing it.

I have taken the seeds head off the dart grass and trimmed the dead bluebells and it's alright.

 

[Mabaker]

I'm happy to report that some foxgloves are now looking great in my garden. The bees are loving them. Also managed to grow some corn poppies from seed. I've left some decaying logs in the corner so maybe there are some stag beetles there.