Council encourages individuals to “go wild” for May

North East Lincolnshire Council is appealing to individuals across the borough to “go wild” in May to “give nature the chance to thrive.”

The Council has asked for gardeners and individuals around the area to entertain the thought of not mowing their gardens and green spaces for the whole month in order to “give nature the opportunity to take its course” and for the Council to observe “just how much wildlife appears when it does.”

This comes as the borough is invited to partake in No Mow May. 

No Mow May is a movement from Plantlife who claim that the UK has “lost approximately 97% of flower-rich meadows since the 1930’s” and how “with them gone are vital food needed by pollinators, like bees and butterflies.” 

The Council explains that if individuals allow their lawn to grow for a more extended period this month, it will let wild flowers blossom, which provide pollinators like newly-emerging native bees with nectar and pollen. 

To further support this movement, officers from North East Lincolnshire Council have been planting wildflowers and sowing seeds in areas like Laceby Road and Mathew Ford Way. 

According to a statement issued by the Council, staff “sowed a mixture of annaul, biennial, and perennial seeds, which add dversity to the roadside verges and mean each season has a different appearance. Grass cutting was scaled back on the seeded verges to allow the new plants to flourish.”

It goes on to explain that, “as well as seeding, some areas were left to grow and develop naturally to see what plants were already there. This way, the plants that grow are the plants native to the area and well adapted to the local conditions. As a former railway bank, Peaks Parkway was left to regenerate naturally, along with Kings Road and the Boating Lake banks.”

When talking about No Mow May, the Council has said that “we don’t expect you to do it forever, but pull out a lawn chair and watch the grass grow for just a month, and you will see the benefits. You could even just leave a patch unmown and see what develops.”

(Image: North East Lincolnshire Council, 2024)