Lay off mowing your lawn – and help the Frodsham bee

LAY off mowing the lawn in May – and help the Frodsham Bee
Cheshire West and Chester Council is to support this year’s No Mow May campaign and is encouraging residents not to mow their lawns during May.
This is particularly relevant to Frodsham, as the bee is the town’s official emblem.
The bee is Frodsham’s official emblem as a result of the work of a former vicar, The Rev William Charles Cotton, who became a world authority on the insect. It has been adopted by the Town Council as its logo.
A memorial to the Rev Cotton’s memory is in St Laurence Parish Church and the symbol of the honey bee appears on the chain of office of Frodsham’s mayor and in various other places in the town.
After supporting the “no mow in May” campaign last year, the Cheshire West and Chester Council l will ensure there is a balanced approach this year , as not everyone agreed with leaving the grass uncut.
National charity, Plantlife, launched the #NoMowMay campaign which encourages everyone to leave their mowers in their sheds for the month of May to allow pollen rich flowers for nature’s emerging insects.
Grass cutting operations will slow down during the month of May and teams will leave selected areas of grass to grow on some high-speed routes to help biodiversity.
This means that wildflowers such as dandelions will continue to flower and provide important sources of nectar for insects. The campaign coincides with World Bee Day on Saturday May 20 which promotes the importance of pollinators like bees.
The council is committed to planting wildflowers, with additional meadows being created across West Cheshire during the year. Once this year’s phase of planting is complete, there will be 101 new mini meadows across the borough, the equivalent of four full size football pitches.
Over the next three years more native wildflower meadows will be created which will then be the equivalent of 24 football pitches.
The project is in partnership with Chester Zoo, who funded machinery to help prepare the soil via their Nature Recovery Corridor project. .
Residents may wish to take part in No Mow May in their own gardens to boost biodiversity in the borough. Whether it’s a small patch or a whole lawn, it can have an impact on plants, insects and animal life. May is a particular important month as the first nectar rich flowers begin to emerge.
Road safety is a priority for the Council, so as always grass cutting will continue in areas such as road junctions and bends to avoid any potential road hazards. The grass on areas like football pitches, play areas and paths will also still be cut to ensure these areas can still be enjoyed.
Regular grass cutting schedules will resume across the borough in June.