Let it grow

This is so simple, you don’t even have to lift a finger! Just set aside an area of grass and let it grow. The whole point is to allow whatever flowers are there to grow to their full flowering potential before you cut them back. This will provide lots of pollen and nectar for visiting insects; not to mention saving time constantly cutting grass! There are two options: a 6-week meadow and a one-cut meadow:

  • A 6-week meadow is where the grass is cut less regularly, ideally once every 6 weeks throughout the spring and summer.
  • A one-cut meadow is where the grass is cut once per year (Autumn/ Winter). This will allow a range of native flowers and grasses to develop as well as providing a wonderful new habitat for pollinators and other insects.
If you are worried about tidiness, just make an interpretative sign with your class and ask the caretaker to cut an outline border and internal pathway to show the intentional nature of your ‘wilderness’. Standby and wait for the parade of flowers from daisies to dandelions, buttercups to clover! Again, this is so simple, totally free and has a big impact! Give it a go!
Photography Credit: Mark Bolton, pinterest.com
Amazing wild Orchids at St. Thomas's NS, Rathowen, Co. Westmeath.
St. Thomas's NS, Rathowen, Co. Westmeath 'Let it Grow' to create an amazing wildflower meadow.
Screen NS, Co. Wexford
Meadow paths at the 'Biodiversity in Schools' Wildlife Garden

​​References:
Local Communities: actions to help pollinators. All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, Guidelines 1. National Biodiversity Data Centre, Waterford. April, 2016.