looking after your lawn

Lawns can become an obsession. Not for me. I have reduced my lawn to around 3mx3m, in a paisley shape, which is just enough for me. It has led my daughter to refer to the garden as a 'show garden', because there are more plants than lawn, which, even at 15 she thinks is unreasonable, even though the only things she now does in the garden is sit. Despite it's reduced size, I neglect my lawn. For those of you who want an ever improving lawn, here are some tips.

Grass needs good drainage, regular mowing and raking, water and some feeding, once a year should be enough.

Pampering your lawn, such as by watering it regularly, will make it more vulnerable when there is any shortage of water.

Get rid of moss by improving drainage and light - rake regularly and aerate once or twice a year. Instructions below. Aerating improves drainage in the lawn, and gives the grass roots more space to grow. Over time, as people walk about your garden, the soil gets packed more and more tightly, and when it is compacted like that, it's harder for water to drain away, and harder for plant roots to get the nutrients they need out of the soil.

Aerating
There are lots of fancy machines for aerating grassed areas, mechanical ones that cost a fortune down to strap on spiked soles, for walking about in. The purpose is to make holes in the soil, to about two inches/five centimetres, then in order to keep the holes open, sand is swept into the holes. Over time the sand will get distributed through the soil, as worms come and go, and the drainage will be improved, even when the holes close, or appear closed.

Horticultural or washed sand is usually used. There are many debates about which kind of sand is best. Horticultural sand is very fine. Sharp sand can be used, although some think it has salt and other minerals in it, which can interfere with the way plants grow. My objection to sharp sand is that if it gets tracked into the house it may stain.

Aerating is usually done once a year, either in the autumn or in the spring. The soil needs to be moist, not wet or dry, for it to be effective.

small city garden

This garden in Tufnell Park needed cheering up. The brief was to make a family garden that was easy to care for, on a very limited budget, and to give a greater sense of privacy.


With small children around, lawn was a must. To keep clutter and smoke away from the house, a small paved area was set out next to the shed, for barbeques. All the fences and the shed were painted the same colour, to bring everything together. The single flowerbed was tapered, like a slice of cake with the end cut off. This made the garden seem longer, and left more lawn to roll around on.

 

Preparation
The garden had become a bit neglected, and a nearby sycamore tree had successfully spread its seed, so the garden was completely cleared and dug over. Soil conditioner was dug into the flowerbed and bonemeal added to help the lawn get established.


Planting

Planting was simple and low maintenance, to fit in with family life. The trellis on one side gave a the sense of privacy, without shutting out the neighbours, who are friends. Climbers will grow up the trellis, greening up the garden, without taking up space, and will give some winter colour.

 

Easy formal family garden

This Kensal Rise garden fell victim to the freak tornado. Most of the plants were destroyed, and the informal layout had been trampled by builders working on the house. Materials had compressed the soil, which had also been contaminated by burst bags of concrete.

The garden had a decked play area at the far end, which was undamaged, and the owners wanted something that went with the modern twist that was being given to the back of the house, but still gave a nod to informality. It was important to make the garden child friendly, but stylish.

The result was a deceptively simple design, with some rich planting. It gave a couple of nice deep stretches of flowerbed, and defined the space. There was plenty of lawn, space for a swing set and seating.  

There were already a number of handsome stones in the garden, spread amongst the remnants of flowerbeds. Gathering them together at the front of the garden gave them greater impact, and this large stone, warmed by the sun, makes a great seat.

Thyme was planted through some of the smaller stones, and other culinary scented herbs were planted nearby, all two steps from the kitchen door.

Rosemary, sage and thyme are evergreen, and give a nice touch of colour, especially in winter.

Preparation involved removing a skipload of waste, saving plants that still had some life in them. The soil was then dug over with a rotovator, including manure and sand, to balance out the alkalinity of the cement that had leached into it. Then three highly experienced horticulturalists trampled it with great expertise, to eliminate air pockets, and the lawn was laid.