Gardeners urged not to mow their lawns for the next three weeks

When it comes to sage gardening advice, it appears that the best thing you can do for your lawn this spring is to leave it be.

in springtime is never a walk in the park, but when it comes to your grass, maintenance can be surprisingly straightforward. Ruth Hayes, a horticultural expert, shared her best advice for those wanting to keep their back yards in top condition this month.

She suggested embracing 'No Mow May' – simply put, don't mow your lawn this month. This approach, first introduced by charity Plantlife, has been widely adopted by gardeners as a means to enhance garden biodiversity and promote wildflowers, often dismissed as weeds.

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Ruth pointed out to Amateur Gardening magazine that about 97% of the UK's meadows, once teeming with plant life, have disappeared since the 1930s, impacting our insects and wildlife. This makes any outdoor space, including your home garden, crucial for the growth of natural habitats for both plants and insects.

To contribute to environmental conservation, Ruth recommended leaving your lawn mower in the shed this May and allowing nature to work its magic on your grass. You don't need to let your entire lawn grow wild; if you prefer, you can just leave a small section unmowed to benefit pollinators such as bees and butterflies, reports .

You'll soon see a buzz of activity in your garden as pollinators and natural pest controls are attracted to the area, boosting biodiversity and keeping unwanted critters at bay.

Ruth explained her own experience: "We sowed a wildflower meadow in our front and back lawns, which are left almost completely unmowed from now until late summer, when we scythe them, spread the seeds and compost the stems."

Letting the garden grow wild can lead to the emergence of free-growing flowers like daisies and clover.

In time, you might spot larger blooms such as poppies, pink sainfoin, bedstraw and oxeye daisies flourishing. It may look unkempt, but this is a garden teeming with life, aiding a struggling wildlife cycle.

No Mow May encourages gardeners to put away their mowers for the entire month of May, without the obligation to continue throughout the summer. It's about exploring a different approach to gardening that could be new to you.

Plantlife's website states: "There are more than 20 million gardens in the UK, so even the smallest grassy patches can add up and deliver enormous gains for nature, people, and the climate."

The charity also backs another initiative called 'Let it Bloom June', adding: "If you are feeling bolder, you might want to trial leaving some of your open space unmown for longer. By mowing only twice a year outside of April to July, you could try to recreate the effect of a traditional hay meadow.

"This allows taller-growing flowers such as red campions, purple knapweeds and mauve scabious to grace your space with a more dynamic swirl of colours animated by a summer breeze."