How To Make A Mow Over Garden Edging

Spring has officially sprung and it's time to focus on your garden. The lawn is the perfect place to start because grass is one of the earliest plants to start growing in spring.

But, with First Cut Sunday falling this weekend on 29th March (the day most people are likely to cut their lawns for the first time in a year), we need to consider the wildlife in our gardens before we go straight in for the spring trim with gusto – even if it means prioritising habitats over aesthetics.

There are a number of things you can do when mowing your lawn to help encourage garden wildlife, which includes hedgehogs, insects and birds. For example, it's important not to pull out all of the dandelions in your lawn because they are great sources of nectar for bees.

We asked RHS Chief Horticulturalist Guy Barter to share his expert tips on how to mow your lawn to give your garden wildlife the best chance of thriving throughout the year...

1. Keep a variety of lengths

"Variation is important for garden wildlife," says Guy. "Shorn lawns are not necessarily bad for wildlife but this is only if there are areas of other vegetation nearby like beds, vegetable plots, soft fruit bushes, borders or ponds. Broad swaths of shorn grass can become what is called a 'green desert' for the many insects, spiders and other invertebrates that feed birds, mammals, amphibians and, if you are very lucky, reptiles."

Don't mow all of your lawn if you don't need to. Choose an area to keep neat and tidy but let other patches embrace wildness.

2. Create mown paths

"Allowing at least some of the grass to grow tall, perhaps with mown paths through the taller areas, is highly beneficial to wildlife and brings advantages to gardeners too," says Guy, who reminds us that a rich garden ecosystem can keep pests under control naturally.

"Birds, hedgehogs, shrews, mice, toads and slow-worms shelter by day in beds and borders where they keep down slugs, weevils and other pests. Longer grass near ponds shelters froglets and other young amphibians as they disperse in summer."

3. Make hay while the sun (still) shines

Guy suggests that allowing our cuts to turn into hay is great for seed-eating birds. He explains: "After any wildflowers have finished in late summer, mowing restores the grass, with perhaps another mowing before winter to prevent tussocks.

"Leave the summer mown grass in place for a few sunny days to become 'hay' and release seeds to refresh the lawn for next year and also provide food for seed-eating birds and other wildlife. The 'hay' can then be removed and composted."

4. Compost grass mowings

"Removing and composting all grass mowings also supports wildlife by reducing soil fertility," says Guy. "Running down fertility, assuming no fertiliser is applied, leads to turf becoming more sparse which allows room for wildflowers, particularly clovers, and wildlife."

5. Leave some weeds in place

"Lawn weeds – like daisies, clovers and plantains – support wildlife and, being very flat, are passed over by the mower," says Guy. Don't make an extra effort to eradicate them if the mower misses them.

Guy adds: "Weedkiller and lawn fertiliser are often used to eliminate them but, as with mowing, there are advantages to letting at least some weeds grow and refrain from weedkilling and feeding less prominent areas of the lawn."

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20 gardening tools and essentials you can get delivered to your home right now

Walsall Wheelbarrows 85L Heavy Duty Builders Barrow - Black

Walsall Wheelbarrows

£55.00

Moving mulch, compost or soil to your garden beds? A wheelbarrow is an essential to save your back. One-wheeled, two-handled options are great for manoeuvrability, but if you're limited in strength you may want to opt for a dual-wheeled one.

RHS Burgon and Ball stainless digging spade

A fantastic spade that's RHS-approved, this stainless steel choice is rust-resistant and won't need regular sharpening, making it easy to maintain. Long-handle spades like this are great for digging large plots and transferring soil (not to mention being easier on your back). This is also a sustainable choice with the handle made from FSC-certified ash.

V&A William Morris Gardening Gloves

Add a splash of bold and beautiful colour to your garden activities with these stylish William Morris-print gloves. Not just for good looks, of course, they'll also protect you from thorns and brambles while you're working.

DeWit double leaf rake

Keep your garden looking spic and span and free from leaves and debris with this top-notch DeWit rake, which makes clearing up much more pleasurable.

Sicilian lemon kneeler pillow

Protect your knees while getting in amongst the borders with this pretty kneeler. Or you might prefer strap-on knee pads so you don't have to keep moving it – BUY NOW, £14.99

Garden Apron

Protect your clothes and get organised with a stylish gardening apron. Whether you're planting new flowerbeds, picking vegetables or potting around in the shed or greenhouse, this trusty apron will ensure clothes stay clean. What's more, all important tools, seeds and more can be stored close to hand in the front pocket.

Webb electric rotary mower ER40 15"

Opt for a more eco-friendly electric lawnmower as opposed to a petrol one.

Bosch EasyHedgeCut 12-35 Cordless Hedge Cutter

Ensyure your hedges and borders looks super-smart with an easy-lift, lightweight, cable-free trimmer for quick and easy grooming.

RHS Burgon and Ball stainless steel digging fork

An efficient tool for turning soil, garden forks can dig into dense soil better than a spade. This one made from rust-proof stainless steel with forged tines for extra strength, is a high-quality digging fork that's endorsed by the RHS. Need we say more?

Garden Tools In Wood And Copper

The ultimates hand tool, trowels are wonderful for transplanting bedding plants and herbs, and planting containers. Hand forks, meanwhile, are perfect for taking out weeds. Not only are these a lovely on-trend copper, the material naturally doesn't rust and repels slugs and snails.

Personalised Copper Plated Garden Pruner Secateurs

Plants taking over? Pruning shears, or secateurs as they're also known, help reign in plants that are getting out of control. They're also perfect for trimming flowers, like roses. Why not match yours to your hand trowel and fork for stylish trio?

DeWit Dutch hoe

This well-crafted garden hoe will make light work of clearing weeds from your flower beds, borders and veg plots. The extra-long handle will also protect you from back strain.

Galvanised Watering Can

All gardens need a trusty watering can to keep flowers and plants thriving. This durable one is available in three sizes, so you can choose the one to suit your outdoor space. The 1.5L is perfect for herb pots on plant stands. The 5L for small gardens with plant pots and flowers. And the biggest, the 10L for vast rural flowerbeds and herb gardens.

FLYMO Contour 500E Grass Trimmer

Tackle a variety of different tasks around your garden with ease with the simple press of a button. This handy trimmer can be used to edge the borders of your lawn, and a wheel is fitted to the trimmer, making it easier to follow the edges around walls and fences. There's also a shrubbing mode, making it simple to tackle difficult-to-reach areas, like under benches and bushes.

Set of 6 Plant Tags

Keep track of what you've planted with these stylish slate plant labels. The set comes complete with a square soapstone pencil, which allows you to interchange the labels with what's in season or current family favourites

Tool stool

Keep everything together in a clever storage box that also doubles up as a foldable seat. You'll enjoy gardening so much more if you're comfortable and everything is to hand. The removable bag fastens with press studs and includes spacious side compartments for hand tools, dibbers, pens, string, and other necessities, and a central section perfect for larger items or a spot of lunch.

Fiskars Solid Lopper Bypass L11

Another handy cutting tool, loppers are basically long-handled pruning shears used to trim hard-to-reach areas and cut thicker branches.

RSPB Garden wildlife camera - new

Don't miss the incredible action going on in your own garden. A good wildlife camera will capture all the exciting activity. This one from RSPB can be used to view anything from birds on a feeder, bird tables and nest box entrances, to hedgehogs and other nocturnal wildlife. It can also even be used to keep an eye on the garden or house as a security camera.

Soil test kit

Maintain an ideal growing environment with an easy-to-use soil tester kit. You can test the pH and nutrient profile of your soil, think soil acidity and levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash, to see if it needs extra help.

SPGOOD 50FT/15M Expanding Garden Hose Set with Splitter, Foam Water Bottle Expandable Garden Hose, 9 Futions Spray

Water is the foundation of your garden's life and it's important that your garden hose can reach and spray every area. If you buy one with an adjustable nozzle, it puts you in control of the water pressure and spray radius. You can also buy nozzles separately.

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