Mowing Less: Meadows and Mixed Lawns

What mowing less means

A conventional lawn is mown short and often, which keeps grass low but leaves little for wildlife. Mowing less covers a range of approaches, from skipping a few cuts to turning part of the lawn into a meadow. It is one of the lowest-cost changes a garden owner can make, since it mostly involves doing less.

The main options are:

• Longer cuts. Raising the mower blades and mowing less often, so the grass is left taller and lets low-growing flowers such as clover, daisies and self-heal bloom.
• Mixed lawn. Keeping a lawn that is a blend of grass and low flowering plants, mown regularly but not too short.
• Paths and patches. Mowing a path or a border strip tightly and leaving the area behind it long. This often looks intentional and tidy, which can help with neighbours or shared green space rules.
• Meadow. Allowing grass and flowers to grow tall through spring and summer, and cutting once or twice a year.

What it does for wildlife

Taller grass and flowers give wildlife food and shelter that a short lawn cannot. Flowers in the lawn provide nectar and pollen for bees, hoverflies and butterflies. Longer vegetation gives cover for ground-dwelling insects, spiders, beetles and amphibians, and seed heads feed birds later in the season. Some butterflies and moths lay their eggs on particular grasses or plants, which need to be left to grow.

Surveys by conservation groups, including ones that asked gardeners to stop mowing for a month in spring, have generally reported more flowers and insect activity on lawns left to grow, although results depend on soil, climate and the species already present in the seed bank. It is sensible to treat the benefits as likely rather than guaranteed.

Garden pollinators are among the clearest beneficiaries, since flowers that would otherwise be cut off before opening can feed them for weeks. A longer area is also a source of food for animals higher up the food chain, such as hedgehogs and birds, which find insects there.

Effects on upkeep

Mowing less saves time, fuel or electricity, and the mower gets less wear. Several points are worth knowing before you start, though.

• It is not zero maintenance. Taller grass still needs cutting, and the cut vegetation needs removing in many cases (see below). The once-a-year cut and rake of a meadow can be a larger job than a quick weekly mow, even if it happens less often. Cut grass that is removed can go into a compost bin, though thick layers of grass alone rot slowly unless mixed with drier material.
• Weeds and tall plants may take over. Some vigorous species, such as docks, thistles or brambles, can dominate if they are not controlled. You may need to remove them by hand or cut before seed set.
• It may look untidy at first. A sign, mown edges or a mown path can show that the area is deliberate.
• Some access and use is lost. Children’s play, pets and picnics are easier on short grass. Many gardeners keep a mown area for use and a long area for wildlife.
• Rules and responsibilities. Tenants, leaseholders and some housing schemes may have rules about grass length. Local authorities may also have requirements about weeds. If you share a green space, it helps to talk to neighbours first.

How to create a small meadow

1. Choose a spot. Sunny, open areas with poor to moderate soil usually do best. Very rich soil tends to produce coarse, fast-growing grasses that crowd out flowers.
2. Stop mowing in spring. Often this is enough to see which plants are already in the lawn. Many people are surprised by what appears.
3. Cut once or twice a year. A common pattern is a main cut in late summer, once flowers have set seed, and sometimes a tidy cut in early spring. Check local advice, since timing varies with climate.
4. Remove the clippings. Leave them for a few days so seeds can drop, then rake them off. Clippings left in place add nutrients as they rot, which favours vigorous grasses over wildflowers.
5. Add plants gradually if you like. Plug plants of suitable flowers can be added into a thin sward. Seed mixes sown into existing grass often struggle, so many guides advise starting with bare patches, or removing turf in strips. Choosing native plants suited to your region and soil gives local insects the best chance.
6. Be patient. A meadow may take several years to develop and can look different each year.

Mowing a short path through a meadow makes it easy to walk through and is useful when you want to check for ticks or look closely at what is growing. Check yourself for ticks after walking through long grass in areas where they occur.

Mixed lawns and small changes

If you cannot give up a lawn, there are halfway steps. Mow at a higher setting, leave clover and daisies, and let the lawn grow between cuts. Many people mow every few weeks in summer rather than every week. Leaving an uncut patch for a season, then moving it the next year, spreads the benefit around. Clover also fixes nitrogen from the air, which can reduce the need for feeding.

Avoid weedkillers and lawn treatments where you can, because they remove the flowers you are trying to encourage and can affect other species. Using a push mower or an electric mower also reduces noise and fuel use, which fits with a lower-impact garden.

Realistic expectations

Mowing less is a simple, flexible way to help wildlife, but it is not a total fix. A meadow in a small suburban garden is a modest habitat, and the surrounding landscape affects what visits. Even so, a strip of long grass and a few flowers provides more than a bowling-green lawn, and it costs little to try. Start with a small patch, watch what happens through the year, and expand if it suits you.