I Like a Neat Bush….

For those of you expecting a blog on depilation of the body’s private parts – you’re going to be disappointed.

What I’m getting at here is the ‘no mow’ brigade.

Around the corner from my house lives a lady whose garden has gone to rack and ruin. It looks so bad that I called round to see if she was struggling to cope with the grass cutting or weed control to offer my help.

She then lectured me on insect life and the ecological value of ‘no maintenance’.

I get it, I really do, yes long grass, yes to ‘wild areas’ …but can we have some management please…because it just looks bloody awful.

In certain areas you can get away with this type of policy …but in towns and cities it just looks like nobody’s bothered.

Litter gets trapped, dogs and cats use these areas as toilet facilities… and to top it all …it’s not the wildflowers that thrive, it’s the invasive species that run riot.

Everyone I talk to about ‘no mow may’ or ‘don’t prune June’ or whatever – seems to think that not cutting the grass will release a cacophony of wildflowers that are being held in check by the grass cutting and their lawns will suddenly become a picture perfect wild flower garden.

Nope – not going to happen.

What you will get are dandelions, dock, buttercup, thistle, nettles, and cow parsley….and lots of coarse grasses that are hell to get rid of and look unkempt and scruffy.

In the past having a lawn was a sign of wealth. It was an indicator that you had enough money to be able to pay people to cut large swathes of land and manicure it all by hand.

Nowadays having a plastic lawn seems to be the way people are going as they don’t have the time or the inclination to mow.

I feel that somewhere there is a balance between ecological value and still looking cared for …

I think mowing your edges is the answer.

Take a strip about a mowers width and just keep on top of cutting this area.

If you’re feeling adventurous then maybe cut some shapes? Maybe cut a pathway through your lawned area and leave the grass long in the rest of the garden …?

Using these techniques you can create an insect friendly haven, create new patterns in your lawn ….but not give the impression that you’ve died and are rotting away in your front room and nobody’s noticed.

 

Mike C