ECO-CHURCH NEWS
IT’S “NO MOW MAY”! Say no to the mow. Mowing your lawn less, and letting parts of it grow long, saves you time and helps give nature a home. If you want to make an even bigger impact for wildlife, don’t mow your lawn or sections of it, until August to help bees, butterflies and other animals.
The closely cut ‘English Lawn’ was created in the 17th century, by the aristocracy. The lawn mower was invented in Gloucestershire in 1830, inspired by a machine for cutting cloth. But do we really need bowling green lawns? Even just cutting your lawn on the highest blade setting allows plants like clover, etc, to flourish, which is beneficial to bees. Over time the species of flowers (please don’t call them weeds!) will change as the area restores to its natural state.
We have two areas at the Mission which are allowed to grow long throughout the season, and are mowed once in the spring and then mowed as normal from the end of August until the end of the growing season. At first glance it looks like no wild flowers are growing, but in summer look closer, and there are quite a lot of species there, if you know what to look for.
Finally, say no to artificial grass!
Susan Garfield