Mowing the grass could be on the way out

Mowing the grass could be on the way out after a survey showed the public is overwhelmingly in favour of leaving grass longer in parks and roadside verges to allow wildflowers to grow and help Britain’s beleaguered bees.

Should local councils reduce grass cutting?

Over 80% of the public agreed that councils should reduce grass-cutting to encourage nectar-rich flowers to grow, with over 90% in favour of planting more wildflowers and other bee-friendly plants in parks and community spaces. Over two thirds said local councils should be doing more to protect Britain’s bees, and 88% supported reducing the use of pesticides.

The survey was commissioned by environmental charities Buglife and Friends of the Earth, who have launched a Pollinator Action Plan to help councils adopt more bee-friendly practices at the same time as saving money on maintenance.

Help bees in your own backyard

Gardeners can help bees in their own back yards by allowing grass to grow longer - mowing a single path through the middle of longer grass helps make a feature of it. There’s still plenty of time to sow wildflower meadows with mixes of nectar rich annuals – you’ll find a wide range on sale now at the garden centre here in Pickering, so pop by and ask for advice on establishing your very own back-garden bee haven.