Very long grass in garden... when/how to cut to avoid hurting anything living in it

[FrogFrogFrogFrogFrog]

We have very long grass in the back half of our garden. It didn't get a mow at all last year after "no mow may" so now we're 12 months on it's knee/thigh high. I would like the grass shorter, so we can use it, but have a deep fear of hurting anything that has been living there. I know we have a handful of grass frogs out there as I've seen them in there. They're so beautiful.

Part the reason for cutting the grass is to make up a pond/boggy area back there, remove some old pavers and wiring etc so it's usable but still definitely froggy and insect friendly. But we can't do anything there ourselves with the grass as it is - it's a no-go area. Not ideal.

Can anyone advise if there's a particular technique to strimming to prevent (as much as possible) injuring frogs etc? I'm pretty sure there are no hedgehogs out there, just frogs and usual insects.

Happy to cut one small area at a time if that's best. The look of it while it's in progress is not the main concern, just keeping it maintainable and usable by all garden visitors human and otherwise.

Area is approx 15m x 15m.

I would make a lot of noise and lightly bat at the area with a stick first to scare anything off.i have this fear whenever I mow my lawn!

I think the strimmer will make enough noise to scare them away, just go fairly slowly. You'll have to anyway, the strimmer will struggle with really long grass.

Ah thank goodness. Nothing too complicated. First time with a proper sized garden so learning as we go 🤣

Make your first pass at least 8 inches high, that should give everything a chance to scarper. Then you can go over a little lower if you need to.

You could get a hand sickle and shorten everything by half before doing a closer cut. That's what I do now at the end of no mow May (I don't mow throughout spring so grass reaches full height like you describe yours). It's quite laborious and I expect a scythe would be quicker but I don't have room in my shed for one.

Oh my goodness, I could have written this word for word and was looking for answers to the same question, too. Back garden we don't use that often, grass and wild flowers, mint, and so called weeds have been growing all year, it's as high as yours, and I kind of adore providing a haven for everything that lives in there. Was thinking that maybe the traditional time of making hay was the best time anyhow, as the old ways were more considered of little creatures? I love seeing the grass seeds on top of the long stems, and it's amazing that both birds and the neighbourhood cat nibble at it. It's an old cat, and he just makes himself a nice comfy bed to settle down in. You and I are clearly kindred souls! 🤗

@DaisyGi Our cat definitely enjoys exploring but now she sticks to the edges where it's shorter!

@deplorabelle a great suggestion. We were considering doing a scything course so a sickle might b a good place to start