We’re giving our green spaces a boost this month as our lawns grow wild for No Mow May.
The annual campaign by the charity Plantlife calls on garden owners and grounds managers to stop cutting the grass.
This enables wild spring plants to flourish, providing much-needed food for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
According to Plantlife, a healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground.
Cumberland Lodge is part of the Windsor Great Park estate, much of which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Protection Area (SPA) for the Conservation of Wild Birds.
Over the next few weeks, the grass will grow longer in areas of our grounds which are not required to be cut for guest access.
Mike Durham, Chief Operating Officer at Cumberland Lodge, said:
“Taking part in No Mow May is one way of showing our appreciation for the variety of wildlife we have on our doorstep – but it also forms part of our wider commitment to reducing our impact on the environment.
“We hope our guests will enjoy our thriving green spaces.”
Des Sussex, Biodiversity and Conservation Manager at Windsor Great Park, added:
“Grass cutting across Windsor Great Park seeks to achieve the right balance between maintaining the world class historic landscape, providing for the needs of our special habitats and wildlife, and enabling public access. As part of our plan, we allow some areas of grass to grow longer in the spring, with increased wildflowers for pollinators and people to enjoy.
“We also reduce our road verge cutting to enable more flowers to thrive whilst maintaining safe routes. Some of our parkland grass is carefully grazed by our native breeds of cattle, and other areas are left to grow until July before parts are cut for hay as winter feed for the cattle.
“Other areas of grass are left all the way into winter to provide shelter for a diversity of insects, small mammals, and amphibians.”
Find out more about No Mow May.