No Mow May

Soldato
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Hampshire
What are your views on majestic ornamental gardens, such as Les Jardins des Tuileries? You 'hate' them? If so, you might be misapplying the word hate.
The vast open grassy areas are a waste in my opinion. But I think more in terms of urban and semi urban gardens, they used to be a green haven but have become more sterile over the decades so the leaving of longer grasses and verges can and does make a big difference. People are free to do what they want at the end of the day but I don't see any reason not to encourage doing things better, or differently than we did in the past.
 
Soldato
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9 Dec 2009
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Bristol
I don't think that I'm being bad for the environment by keeping the grass short.

Our borders are flowering, the bees are busy and the birds are busy finding food in the grass.

Regular mowing keeps the weeds down and our garden has not seen any pesticides for many years.
 
Soldato
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5 degrees starboard
I don't think that I'm being bad for the environment by keeping the grass short.

Our borders are flowering, the bees are busy and the birds are busy finding food in the grass.

Regular mowing keeps the weeds down and our garden has not seen any pesticides for many years.

This.

Keeping the grass short also reduces the neighbours cats lying in ambush to catch ground feeding birds. We don't feed birds at this time of year but worms, snails and grubs are plentiful

I do have a rash of small toadstools each morning that need picking so the faeries have been busy overnight.
 
Caporegime
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Leafy outskirts of London
I did actually my the back yard yesterday, but that was so that I could dethatch and throw some microclover seeds there as well.

We also have a wooded area just across the street that has plenty of wild growth.

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Associate
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31 Jan 2008
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S Wales
Some see a 'proper state', others see habitats and feeding areas for wildlife. If it saves councils money too, bonus.

I personally hate over manicured gardens and green areas.
I totally get that but when the local council take to not doing road verges, for example, and you cannot see onto a roundabout due to 3 foot high undergrowth it takes the pee a bit
 
Soldato
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Outside your house
I totally get that but when the local council take to not doing road verges, for example, and you cannot see onto a roundabout due to 3 foot high undergrowth it takes the pee a bit
Oh certainly if it starts becoming a hazard and encroaching on to non-green spaces, like a junction or roundabout (!), I can fully understand.

I was thinking more along the lines of over zealous 'neatening' of green areas.

But, of course, if it's spreading into roads and causing safety issues, it certainly needs addressing.
 
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Soldato
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27 Feb 2006
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Lincolnshire
I totally get that but when the local council take to not doing road verges, for example, and you cannot see onto a roundabout due to 3 foot high undergrowth it takes the pee a bit
It's not just a road safety issue either, we find that pavements in our village are difficult to navigate due to the amount of foliage blocking them.
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Apr 2007
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13,676
Haven't touched my back garden for about 2 years now, amazing what plants have appeared.
I do need to deal with some mates tail though and a couple of tree saplings.
But it's great seeing the wild life that seems to be thriving in the wild garden.
 
Caporegime
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Llaneirwg
Haven't touched my back garden for about 2 years now, amazing what plants have appeared.
I do need to deal with some mates tail though and a couple of tree saplings.
But it's great seeing the wild life that seems to be thriving in the wild garden.
What I find amazing is that it can be totally different one year to another.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
21 Nov 2004
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45,250
Haven't touched my back garden for about 2 years now, amazing what plants have appeared.
I do need to deal with some mates tail though and a couple of tree saplings.
But it's great seeing the wild life that seems to be thriving in the wild garden.

I’ve had lots of plants just randomly seed into the garden. Many of which of become features.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Aug 2019
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2,610
We put down a small pond and left a large patch to go wild around it.

Got foxes coming in, frogs, newts and more bees than I've ever had.

Brilliant, plus some of the 'weeds' look very nice.
 
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Soldato
Joined
21 Oct 2012
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10,851
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London/S Korea
I like to do rewilding of barren land. I try to use a mix of flowers to create a vibrant range of colours. It keeps the wild look but not unmaintained. I’ve been dropping some forget me nots around recently. Looking forward to seeing those.
 
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