|
| |
Garden Design - Lawns
You can't beat good old fashioned grass.
If you use your garden at all (as opposed to looking
at it out of the windows) then it will often be the lawn that you use. If you have
children, it provides a near perfect outdoor play surface, soft and forgiving, self-repairing,
and good looking. The same applies if you have a dog or cat (or rabbit / guinea
pig / chickens etc. for that matter). If your garden has aspirations to being ornamental
as well as utilitarian, then the lawn provides an excellent foil to show off all
the other features.
Why grass?
 |
It's drought
tolerant |
|
It can be
cut very short and still re-grow |
|
It looks
good all year round |
|
It provides
an ideal contrast for the rest of the garden |
|
It's cheaper
than any other form of ground cover |
Almost irrespective of the size of your garden,
a lawned area is well worth incorporating if you don't currently have one, or renovating
/ improving if you have one but if it's in poor condition. The only gardens that
are probably better off without a lawn are courtyard types, where space
for hard surfaces and planting is at a premium. 10ft x 10ft is probably an absolute
minimum for an area of lawn, anything less really does look silly and even then
it depends on the size of the surroundings.
Fence-to-fence or not. If at all possible leave part/s of the garden
unturfed where beds and borders are to go. Laying turf that will later be lifted
is a waste of money and also it’s hard work digging up well-rooted turf which then
has to be disposed of.
Things to consider
when planning a lawn in your garden.
| If mowing simplicity is important,
then make sure that the shape and layout of your lawn is simple,
without sharply curved edges. Island beds and specimen trees or
shrubs to make mowing awkward. Overhanging branches that require
you to duck beneath with the mower can be a nuisance or even dangerous.
Aim for long runs up and down the lawn where possible.
|
| Don't aim for a close-cropped ornamental
lawn unless you understand what you're taking on - they take more effort to mow and don't wear so well. So aim
instead for a utility area which shouldn't need mowing more than
once a week.
|
| For a new lawn, choose one of the
newer, hard wearing, but slower growing grass mixes if possible.
|
|
Alternatives to lawns
| Hard surfaces, such as paving,
brickwork, concrete, small cobbles set into concrete, gravel, wooden
decking or tarmac with small pebbles brushed over. Mix the surfaces
to create interesting patterns and textures. Leave gaps for plants
between. Make sure that the surface is safe to use - choose non-slip
materials. Avoid highly reflective colors and surfaces and provide shade
for large areas of hard surfacing. |
This will be more expensive than
a lawn for a given area, you could compromise and just have a small
area like this to reduce rather than totally eliminate the lawn.
| Ground-cover planting, particularly
useful for those awkward corners, areas of uneven ground or slopes,
or shady patches under trees, where grass does not grow well and
mowing is difficult. Though be aware that if grass or weeds won't grow in
a particular place, then it unlikely that much else will either.
|
| For a small area, try establishing
a lawn using a plant other than grass. As long as wear is minimized,
and the ground weed-free to start with, the following suggestions
are all suitable, being neat and attractive all year, tolerant of
some trampling and having a dense, low-growing habit that reduces
the need for hand weeding. You may find however that they need to
be replanted every 3-4 years. This is not really a solution for
a walking-on lawn, but for a small (they have to be clipped by hand,
not with a mower!) - looking-at lawn. |
|
Anthemis nobilis - Chamomile. The variety
'Treneague' is the one you need as it is non-flowering, standard flowering chamomile
grows quite tall and gets very straggly, tatty and un-lawn like after it has flowered.
Aromatic, feathery, best on a sunny site. Trim in late summer. Establish from divided
plants or cuttings, 4-6 inches apart.
Thymus spp. - Thyme Ideal for well-drained sites in full sun. A
mixture of the low growing and creeping forms gives a lovely Persian carpet effect.
Establish from seed, sowing different species in bold shapes, at least five plants
per patch. Choose varieties with contrasting leaf colors, textures and flowering
seasons. Maintenance is minimal, restricted to a little hand-weeding and the occasional
clipping of the taller dead flower heads. Good where they can spill onto the edges
of a path or gravel / paved area.
Click here to go laying a sodded lawn
|
