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Gardeners urged not to cut the grass

Cutting the Grass - Level 0

A charity called Plantlife wants us not to cut our grass. It is a project called "No Mow May". When we cut the grass, there are fewer flowers and insects. Not cutting the grass helps "bees, butterflies, wildlife and us". Bees are important because they pollinate flowers.

Plantlife said wild lawns are "biodiversity hotspots". They can have 250 kinds of plants, including wild strawberry. One gardener said wild gardens bring joy. He said not mowing the lawn lets us "reconnect with the natural world". Plantlife agreed. It said a wild garden "makes you feel like you're somewhere tropical".

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Cutting the Grass - Level 1

A charity called Plantlife wants people not to cut their grass. It is a project called "No Mow May". When spring arrives, gardeners mow their lawn. This means there are fewer flowers and insects. Not cutting the grass leaves a habitat that will help "bees, butterflies, wildlife and us". Bees are important because they pollinate flowers. Plantlife also wants people to count the types of wild flowers in their garden.

Plantlife said wild lawns are "biodiversity hotspots". It said there can be 250 kinds of plants on lawns, including wild strawberry. Plantlife wants us to value wild lawns. One gardener said wild gardens bring joy. He said people care too much about neat gardens. He said not mowing the lawn lets us "reconnect with the natural world". Plantlife agreed. It said a wild garden "makes you feel like you're somewhere tropical".

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Cutting the Grass - Level 2

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A UK charity called Plantlife is asking people not to cut their grass. It is part of a project called "No Mow May". When spring arrives, gardeners mow their lawn. The charity wants to help flowers grow wild and insects to breed. It hopes to promote biodiversity. Plantlife is also asking people to count the types of wild flowers in their garden. Plantlife says not cutting the grass leaves a habitat that will help "bees, butterflies, wildlife and us". Bees are an important part of nature because they pollinate flowers. Cutting the grass means there are fewer flowers for bees to work their natural magic.

Plantlife said garden lawns can be "biodiversity hotspots". Last year, it found over 250 species of plants on people's lawns, including wild strawberry and wild garlic. Plantlife wants people to value wild lawns more. People could get a nice surprise if they did not cut their grass. One gardener spoke about the joy of wild gardens. He said people care too much about having a neat garden. He believes not mowing the lawn lets people "reconnect with the natural world". Plantlife agreed. It said a wild garden "makes you feel like you're somewhere tropical instead of your own garden".

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Cutting the Grass - Level 3

A charity in the U.K. is urging people not to cut the grass in their garden. When spring arrives, many gardeners mow their lawn. The call to not do this is part of a project called "No Mow May". It is to help flowers grow wild and insects breed. No Mow May is a campaign to promote biodiversity. It is from the charity Plantlife. The charity is also asking people to count the types and number of wild flowers in their garden. Plantlife says leaving the grass uncut creates a habitat that will help "our bees, butterflies, wildlife and us". Bees are an essential part of nature as they pollinate flowers. Cutting the grass means there are fewer flowers for bees to work their natural magic.

A spokesperson for Plantlife said garden lawns have the potential to be "biodiversity hotspots". Last year, the charity found over 250 species of plants on people's lawns. These included wild strawberry and wild garlic. Plantlife wants people to value wild lawns more. It said people would get a nice, colourful surprise if they did not cut their grass. One gardener spoke to the BBC about the joy of wild gardens. He said people care too much about having a neat garden and use too many chemicals. He believes not mowing the lawn lets people "reconnect with the natural world". Plantlife agreed. It said a wild garden "makes you feel like you're somewhere tropical instead of your own garden".

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson