No Mow May - lazy gardening that’s good for the planet

Can keeping our garden lawns a bit longer really make a difference for our precious wildflowers and minibeasts which are disappearing from our wider landscapes? In this episode we are exploring this very question as well as the pleasures of rewilding our green spaces. Partners in Fife’s Climate Friendly Garden project talk about why and how they took part in Plantlife’s No Mow May campaign. And Kevin Frediani from Dundee University adds his botanical expertise. You will also hear snippets from our own Tayport Community Garden where we counted our lawn wildflowers for Plantlifes Ever Flower Counts last week to learn what effect No Mow May has had there.

Resources:

• Plantlife’s No Mow May campaign https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/no-mow-may
• Plantlife’s Every Flower Counts citizen science project https://www.plantlife.org.uk/everyflowercounts/
• 2019-2020 results of Every Flower Counts - hinting at the possible impact of future climate change:

Plantlife website: https://www.plantlife.org.uk/everyflowercounts/2020-results/

The Independent article https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/mow-may-garden-lawn-wildflowers-b1840411.html

Video of Plantlife’s Trevor Dine’s talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPfePtmUH2g&t=1833s

• Climate Friendly Gardens project https://tayportgarden.org/2021/02/12/an-introduction-to-climate-friendly-gardens-project/
• Climate Action Fife’s blog about No Mow May: https://www.climateactionfife.org.uk/no-mow-may-how-the-food-on-your-table-relies-on-the-grass-under-your-feet/
• Recording from Kavin’s talk about rewilding your garden for Dundee Green Health Week May 2021 https://vimeo.com/549257368
• Resources for rewilding Dundee/Tayport on Dundee Botanics page https://www.dundee.ac.uk/botanic/educate/rewilding-dundee/
• Scotia Seeds https://www.scotiaseeds.co.uk/