No Mow May: 5 Reasons I Welcome the Wild Into My Garden

My daughter picking yarrow in our front garden

Ever since I was a little girl I used to find it sad that whenever the lawn was mowed, the daisies and dandelions would be prematurely snipped away. With their removal, dreams of making the world's longest daisy chains, and the countless wishes that could be granted by a dandelion clock would be gone. I wanted to save them.

In my view, the lawn looked worse without the flowers - a boring sea of green, often looking fairly dry once the luscious top layer had been removed. I didn't get the appeal. I didn't understand why the lawn needed to be mown so often; instinctively it felt wrong. What was so offensive about a few wild flowers? And more than that - wasn't it incredible that they appeared there of their own volition anyway?

Try as I might, I couldn't convince my parents to just leave the lawn. My request would be met with an eye roll and a sort of 'you'll understand when you're older' look. Well, now I am older (much older!) and I still hold the same point of view. And in fact, I now know that there are many ecological reasons to let the flowers bloom. That's why I am a such a huge advocate of No Mow May, a campaign started by PlantLife in 2019 to encourage people not to mow their lawn throughout the month of May.

While the campaign has no doubt grown in popularity, there are still many who haven't heard of it, and others who don't subscribe to a supposedy 'untidy' lawn. So, at this time of year I will tell anyone who will listen the importance of letting your grass grow long - even if it's for a little while.

I decided it was about time to capture all the reasons why I believe in No Mow May so passionately below. Here are my top 5 reasons:

1) It supports life in all its forms

The genius idea behind the campaign is that by not removing wildflower seeds prematurely, they have a chance to be pollinated and also to set seed and so spread. They can therefore provide vital food and habitat for emerging pollinators like bees, butterflies, and moths.This is important because both wildflowers and pollinators numbers have taken a battering over recent years:

• Over 97% of the UK's wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s, equating to over 7 million acres converted to agriculture or development. With their loss we have seen a removal of vital food and habitat needed by wildlife.

• One in six species monitored is at risk of being lost from Great Britain, according to the latest state of nature report.

• More than half of the UK's butterfly species are in long term decline, according to the UK butterfly monitoring scheme.

No Mow May participants have reported almost 100 species of pollinators on their lawns including 25 types of moth and butterfly, and 24 types of bee (see Gardeners World).

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It’s great for the environment

On top of the biodiversity benefits there as also the following environmental bonuses:

• Carbon absorption - Unmown grasslands can act as carbon sinks. By not mowing, plants can photosynthesize more effectively, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil, thereby helping to mitigate climate change

• Soil quality - Letting grass grow longer can enhance soil health by increasing organic matter and promoting beneficial microorganisms. This practice can improve soil structure, water retention, and nutrient cycling

• Water conservation - Longer grass can reduce the need for irrigation by providing shade to the soil, reducing evaporation rates, and improving water retention, which is particularly beneficial in areas experiencing drought.

• Air quality - Allowing lawns to grow increases plant biomass, which helps trap dust, and absorb pollutants. Longer grass also cools the surrounding environment, reducing heat-driven ozone formation.

3) It rekindles relationship

It always amazes me how quickly nature recovers when given the chance. A monotonous lawn will turn out to have a plethora of species secretly growing inside when only just given the opportunity to thrive. And it’s a bit of an exciting treasure hunt that you can embark on each day - seeing what is growing within the lawn.

These wild plants are not only harmless, but they are beautiful and also have incredible medicinal qualities. Yarrow grows abundantly in my lawn and is great for treating cuts and scrapes.

Yarrow gathered from my lawn

Did you know that the humble daisy used to be known as bruisewort? It can be made into a salve and used to heal scrapes and bumps.

And as for the mighty dandelion - it is a great cleanser for your liver. You can eat the young leaves, make dandelion tea from the flowers (or dandelion 'honey' which is essentially a syrup'. Best of all the roots can be dug up in the autmum and roasted to make a 'dandelion coffee'.

I will be writing an in depth plant profile on dandelion this month. To get it sent directly to your inbox please subscribe to my newsletter, “wild soul whispers” - and I’ll also send you a free checklist of top things to consider when you start foraging!

4) It honours the wild within us

There’s something quietly radical in allowing the world to grow as it wishes. It’s an act of trust, and of letting go. It reminds us that beauty doesn’t need tidying. That worth isn’t tied to control. That softness, unruliness, and wildness have their place—in nature, and in ourselves.

Carl Jung spoke of the shadow self—the parts of us we are taught to hide or repress because they don’t fit neatly into societal expectations. In a way, wildflowers are the shadow of the suburban lawn: spontaneous, untamed, sometimes unwanted, yet brimming with vitality and meaning. Letting them grow is a gentle act of integration—of welcoming back what we’ve been conditioned to see as disorder, and realising it holds its own kind of wisdom.

5) It's free - but priceless

In a world where we’re constantly encouraged to buy more to do better, No Mow May asks nothing of us but patience. You don’t need to purchase anything, subscribe to anything, or upgrade your tools.Just stop mowing. That’s it.

It’s a movement that costs nothing—and yet it offers so much: colour, life, discovery, and a small rebellion against the idea that everything of value has a price tag. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is... less.

Thoughts to leave you with

My garden, full of clover

I really hope to see more people participating in No Mow May this year - including councils and people letting their grass grow longer! It may feel like your own patch of the world is not that significant but in England gardens make up 10% of the land space, so if we all participate it can have a sizeable impact.

But most of all I hope to see a mindset shift and for people to incorporate some of these principles beyond May. The campaign encourages long-term shifts toward lower-maintenance, wildlife-friendly lawns that continue to improve air quality while supporting biodiversity.

If you're curious about how to welcome more wild plants into your garden—beyond just May—I've written a gentle guide to gardening with wildflowers here.

Here’s to more wildflowers, more birds and bees, and daisy chains too.

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