BIRDS, bees, plants, flowers and trees have all received a boost thanks to a successful 'No Mow May' and Nature Isn't Neat campaign in Monmouthshire.

Over the last two months, verges and green spaces have been left to grow, allowing flowers and wild grasses to develop to support pollinators.

The success of the campaign comes as Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) gears up for the summer months and is reminding residents of its selective mowing policy.

Under the policy, sports pitches, path edges and road junctions will be mown while in other areas, the longer grass will gradually be cut, so residents will notice there will not be an immediate return to short green lawns.

Some larger green spaces will have paths cut through them, and circles to provide areas for people to sit or children to play. This, the council says, will create a "more varied greenscape, providing a wider range of recreational and social opportunities as well as benefitting more species, and make a more interesting, natural environment".

These changes will continue as the seasons progress, and some grass will not be cut until the end of the summer.

Monmouthshire County Council’s cabinet member for grounds maintenance and climate change, Jane Pratt, said: “It’s been wonderful to hear the overwhelmingly positive and supportive response to No Mow May from residents, who have reported enjoying the appearance of longer grasses swaying in the breeze, more wild flowers, and hearing the buzz of insects feeding on them.

"A wide diversity of different flowers have appeared in parks and footpath verges, ranging from daisies and dandelions to cow parsley, buttercups, hawkweed and trefoils. There have been rarities too, like the exotic-looking bee orchids spotted in Chepstow, Monmouth and Caerwent.

“Now we are moving into the next phase – selective grass mowing is resuming."

For more information about Nature Isn’t Neat visit monmouthshire.gov.uk/nin