It wouldn’t be ground breaking to suggest that bees need food, particularly earlier in the season. One flower that can be particularly good for bees is the much-maligned, humble dandelion.
Our Craftivism group decided that we needed to help do something to support the bees and protect our dandelions, there were many exciting projects out there but the one we decided on was #NoMowMay.
In the immediate aftermath of deciding to join the program, the sun was out, and my family and I were spending quite a lot of time in the garden.
When I tried to brooch the conversation of joining #NoMowMay and letting our garden grow naturally for a month, it didn’t go down too well.
My husband likes a neat, tidy lawn. He likes nothing more than going out and getting the garden spick and span, so a month of growing was out of the question for him.
If I Can’t Get my Family to Follow #NoMowMay How do we Convince Others?
Dandelions, which typically start flowering in the UK in May, provide a valuable food source for early pollinators coming out of hibernation, including solitary bees, honey bees and hoverflies.
But they are not as popular with gardeners who see them as weeds spoiling their garden, that need to be removed.
This mindset seems to be a popular one, years of television advertising for weed whackers with the eradication of dandelions featuring prominently have made #NoMowMay a hard sell for some.
We wonder then, do people dislike seeing dandelions, or do thye dislike them only in their back garden?
Would people feel okay about allowing them to grow in other public grassy areas such as; roundabouts, patches of grass by road signs etc.
We are Joining the Growing Number of Gardeners in #NoMowMay to Help our Bees, Butterflies and Wildlife.
The #NoMowMay campaign is one of Plantlife’s many campaigns and it’s a great one as it asks you to put the lawn mower away and not get it out again until June.
As weekend approaches, we are hoping you won’t be getting the mower out and join us.
Let the wildflowers in your lawn bloom, providing a feast of nectar for our hungry pollinators.
I’m committed to this campaign and after weeks of trying to convince my family about the merits of #NoMowMay with little sign of getting my way, I may have to turn to sneakier methods.
Even if I have to hide the lawnmower, I want to see my garden full of dandelions and daises, and I hope you’ll join me.
Let it grow…lets all support the Friends of the Earth Chester & District #LeftForNature campaign at the same time.
