grass cutting and bees

i have been planting wild flowers for bees for the last 4 years but this year I went even further by not cutting the grass.We are so keen on short lawns that we deprive the bees of primary foods ,dandelions,butter cups and the most important wild white clover ..I now have to watch where i put my feet and it is absolutely wonderful...So everybody! it is a lot easier NOT to cut that grass and Wait.Watch.Enjoy...

I absolutely agree that short lawns make no sense whatsoever. How long you allow the grass to grow, and how much of your lawn to allow to grow long is up to the gardener.

Once you start allowing grass to grow long and allowing it to flower, you become aware of the numerous different species of grass.

Ideally long grass ought to be cut once a year, in Autumn (haymaking), and the cut grass removed. Otherwise the long grass will die down naturally, and the dead grass will make it more difficult for the wildflowers that you already have to grow. Buttercups will survive anything, but clover seems to grow most vigourously in grass that is kept reasonably short (though not mowed when the clover is about to flower).

Removing as much cut grass as you can (in Autumn) depletes soil fertility and may enable more wild flowers to colonize the area.

We'd really like to see a snap if you have one.... when the sun comes out.

We keep bees and do our best to provide plenty of plants they like. At the moment the weather is so bad that they are not coming out that much. We have to make sure they have plenty of stores (honey) to keep them going. Three times this year they have made honey but have had to eat it themselves as it is cold and wet. We are just hoping we  are able to keep them alive in the hope of better weather. Time is running out for this summer. We also try not to cut our grass very much as it is food for the bees. There are many bees out there not only honey bees. Something that grows well here is burdock. The bees love the flowers and in the winter the goldfinches have plenty of food as well.

How wonderful Geraldine to have room to keep bees.I have grass in my front garden - which gets narrower each year as I widen the flower border. I leave it long enough for the clover and daisies to grow. However,down the other side of my path is a strip owned by the council. Inspired by Sarah Raven's plants for pollinators programmes I've asked the council if I can sow suitable seeds in it. Still waiting to hear back, but if they don't reply maybe the odd open seed packet might fall out of my pocket. Must get that hole sown up some time! 

Does anyone else find it difficult to find British honey in the shops? I refuse to buy honey from far-flung sources