The variety of folks not mowing their lawns is rising after a profitable marketing campaign to maintain gardens wild, a number one nature charity says.

Gardeners are this yr being urged as soon as once more by Plantlife to maintain their lawnmower within the shed throughout No Mow Might, to be able to let wild crops thrive and supply nectar for bugs.

1000’s of individuals participate in Plantlife’s annual Each Flower Counts citizen science survey, the most important ever examine of backyard lawns within the UK. The charity says the outcomes present a “radical shift in attitudes in the direction of garden administration is below means”. It says 78.8% of two,157 EFC contributors final yr didn’t mow for a month earlier than participating within the survey, a rise from 33.6% in 2019.

Individuals who selected to not mow have been rewarded with uncommon crops. Greater than 250 wild plant species have been recorded by gardeners final yr, together with wild strawberry, wild garlic and really uncommon crops together with adder’s-tongue fern, meadow saxifrage, snakeshead fritillary and eyebright. Many orchids have been additionally seen, together with the declining ​man orchid, green-winged orchid, southern and northern marsh orchid and bee orchid.

Ian Dunn, head of Plantlife, mentioned: “These outcomes display that our name to No Mow Might has set seed and laid down deep roots. The outcomes underline how embracing a little bit extra wildness in our gardens could be a boon for crops, butterflies and bees. We’re excited by the unfolding daybreak of a brand new British garden.”

Crops thought-about weeds ought to be welcomed in lawns in summer time, the charity added, particularly these reminiscent of dandelions, which offer vital nectar for pollinators. Regardless of being outnumbered by daisies 85 to 1 on a typical 2021 garden, they produced 9% of its pollen and 37% of its nectar sugar. Plantlife mentioned simply eight dandelion flowers could produce sufficient nectar sugar to fulfill an grownup bumblebee’s baseline power wants.

One 100 sq metre space of unmowed garden, based on their plant examine, would produce sufficient pollen to refill six mining bee brood cells and sufficient nectar sugar to fulfill the wants of six bumblebees a day.

After Might, folks with gardens and lawns are requested to mow much less all through the summer time and ideally depart at the very least a part of their backyard untouched.

Oli Wilson, a modeller on the Nationwide Plant Monitoring Scheme, mentioned: “Might is a vital month for flowering crops that must get a agency foothold however we aren’t advocating by no means mowing after Might. Plantlife steerage throughout the yr recommends a layered strategy to the backyard minimize, the place shorter grass is complemented by areas of longer grass. This two-tone strategy boosts floral range and nectar and pollen manufacturing by way of the yr.”