Let Nature Lead: A No Mow May Journey in Sussex

 

Written by Marianne Lindfield

Living with the land and recognising that even our gardens are part of it has been part of my thinking for a long time. As a permaculturalist observing patterns, valuing edges and letting nature lead is not new but each year the practice becomes more visible.

This spring has brought a series of small yet significant encounters. I saw my first slowworm weaving through the warm grass at the back of the garden. Newts drift like tiny dragons through the pond and most evenings I find myself drawn outside just to watch them. One night when I could not sleep I went out to look at the stars and found a hedgehog ambling past. These are the moments that stay with me and remind me that the garden is not just mine.

It is relatively long but narrow and backs onto an embankment with woods beyond. Over the years my partner in particular has been passionate about blurring the boundaries and creating corridors through to the pond. We have let scrub grow up at the back and kept informal pathways for wildlife to move through the space. We aim to intervene as little as possible and allow the systems to settle themselves.

There are over 270 species of bees in the UK, many of which are in decline due to habitat loss, pesticides and lack of forage. When we make space for wildflowers and untidy corners, we help reverse that trend. So far I have seen three different types of bees visiting the dandelions and meadow cress. There are not many butterflies yet but I remain hopeful. Hoverflies are thriving among the spring flowers. Even the plants we often call weeds have become part of our daily conversation. I can now eat leaves from 22 different plants in the garden such as wild garlic, dandelion, sorrel and plantain. It is about being in relationship with the place.

We often say we value birds or bees or wildness but then use weedkiller on lawns that pollinators depend on or tidy away the habitats they need to survive. No Mow May is a way of aligning values with action. A chance to look more closely and take a simple step in the right direction.

Permaculture teaches us to observe and interact, to use edges and value the marginal, to catch and store energy. No Mow May does all of that. Wildflowers emerge. Pollinators return. The system begins to rebuild itself. When we choose to do less we often achieve more.

This year we are encouraging people to see themselves as bee hosts, a term inspired by the Natural Beekeeping Trust who describe bees not as livestock but as wild creatures to be supported. Bee hosts plant for pollinators, leave standing stems for nesting and let parts of the garden rest. It is less about doing and more about not undoing.

In Sussex the movement is growing. Horsham District’s WildWays Project is managing verges and parks to support wildflowers and pollinators. From Weald to Waves is connecting land from the High Weald to the sea inviting people to register their patch and become part of a living corridor. Sussex Wildlife Trust, South Downs ReNature and The Living Coast are all building the infrastructure of nature recovery.

And there is still more to do. Look at the edges. Do you back onto woodland, scrub or open space? Can you leave wildness in the margins or create a path through your garden that links to wider habitats? Scrub is one of our most undervalued ecosystems rich with nesting birds like nightingales and turtle doves. These are not wastelands. They are nurseries.

At Sussex Green Living we are installing Pollination Education Stations, living demonstrations filled with native plants, wild corners and insect habitats. One was recently installed at the Plant to Plate festival in the grounds of the Unitarian Church in Horsham. Another will be unveiled on 15 May. These spaces are community conversation starters and practical examples of what rewilding can look like in schools, gardens or shared green space.

We will also be at the Stork Festival in Storrington on 5 May. White storks are now breeding again at Knepp as part of a wider rewilding story that stretches across Sussex. Once common across Britain and still known for nesting on rooftops in parts of Europe they remind us how much can return when space is made for nature. The stork is a symbol of renewal and resilience and a fitting emblem for what we are trying to grow.

This campaign is not about perfection, it is about connection. What we do in our gardens matters, what we notice, what we value and what we share can create new norms. That is why we are inviting everyone to share their wild patches with #NoMowMaySussex to inspire others and make this movement visible. For more information visit our No Mow May Sussex webpages.

Nature is always trying to return. No Mow May is an invitation to let it and to see what grows when we step back.