2018 Lawn thread
Discussion
After following the 2017 Lawn thread, I have been inspired to do better with my garden.
Its a small walled garden, so is limited to what can be done, but on the plus side, it means that scarifying / fertilising can be done much quicker and easier. The Lawnsmith seems to be the most commonly recommended advice, so this has made for some interesting reading.
To give some background, we moved into our first property around 12 months ago, and the rear garden was very bare and overlooked. We therefore wanted to add our own touch and try and add some privacy. We've also got a Jack Russell that likes to dig holes / bury bones.
This is how the garden looked in August 2017. The 3 no. olive trees were planted and the grass seeded in May 2017. Since then I
we have not done anything except give it a weekly cut.
As you can see the lawn doesn't receive much sun as it is surrounded by walls, our house and other houses! The pergola and patio was build / lead with me and I'd like to replace all the concrete paving slabs with sandstone.
And here it is today, after a quick rake. Ive also applied some ferrous sulphate (but not given it a cut as frost is due). Will give it another rake and maybe a cut in a couple of weeks.
Its a small walled garden, so is limited to what can be done, but on the plus side, it means that scarifying / fertilising can be done much quicker and easier. The Lawnsmith seems to be the most commonly recommended advice, so this has made for some interesting reading.
To give some background, we moved into our first property around 12 months ago, and the rear garden was very bare and overlooked. We therefore wanted to add our own touch and try and add some privacy. We've also got a Jack Russell that likes to dig holes / bury bones.
This is how the garden looked in August 2017. The 3 no. olive trees were planted and the grass seeded in May 2017. Since then I
we have not done anything except give it a weekly cut.
As you can see the lawn doesn't receive much sun as it is surrounded by walls, our house and other houses! The pergola and patio was build / lead with me and I'd like to replace all the concrete paving slabs with sandstone.
And here it is today, after a quick rake. Ive also applied some ferrous sulphate (but not given it a cut as frost is due). Will give it another rake and maybe a cut in a couple of weeks.
georgefreeman918 said:
After following the 2017 Lawn thread, I have been inspired to do better with my garden.
Its a small walled garden, so is limited to what can be done, but on the plus side, it means that scarifying / fertilising can be done much quicker and easier. The Lawnsmith seems to be the most commonly recommended advice, so this has made for some interesting reading.
To give some background, we moved into our first property around 12 months ago, and the rear garden was very bare and overlooked. We therefore wanted to add our own touch and try and add some privacy. We've also got a Jack Russell that likes to dig holes / bury bones.
This is how the garden looked in August 2017. The 3 no. olive trees were planted and the grass seeded in May 2017. Since then I
we have not done anything except give it a weekly cut.
As you can see the lawn doesn't receive much sun as it is surrounded by walls, our house and other houses! The pergola and patio was build / lead with me and I'd like to replace all the concrete paving slabs with sandstone.
And here it is today, after a quick rake. Ive also applied some ferrous sulphate (but not given it a cut as frost is due). Will give it another rake and maybe a cut in a couple of weeks.
Nice looking little plot. Hope those olive trees get plenty of sun though! Its a small walled garden, so is limited to what can be done, but on the plus side, it means that scarifying / fertilising can be done much quicker and easier. The Lawnsmith seems to be the most commonly recommended advice, so this has made for some interesting reading.
To give some background, we moved into our first property around 12 months ago, and the rear garden was very bare and overlooked. We therefore wanted to add our own touch and try and add some privacy. We've also got a Jack Russell that likes to dig holes / bury bones.
This is how the garden looked in August 2017. The 3 no. olive trees were planted and the grass seeded in May 2017. Since then I
we have not done anything except give it a weekly cut.
As you can see the lawn doesn't receive much sun as it is surrounded by walls, our house and other houses! The pergola and patio was build / lead with me and I'd like to replace all the concrete paving slabs with sandstone.
And here it is today, after a quick rake. Ive also applied some ferrous sulphate (but not given it a cut as frost is due). Will give it another rake and maybe a cut in a couple of weeks.
How did you attach your veranda/gazebo feet into the ground? Looks like just what I had planned.
8-P said:
Nice looking little plot. Hope those olive trees get plenty of sun though!
How did you attach your veranda/gazebo feet into the ground? Looks like just what I had planned.
They get plenty of sun in the summer, but not in the winter so I'm hoping that they grow nicely!How did you attach your veranda/gazebo feet into the ground? Looks like just what I had planned.
Regarding the feet, I just dug a 350mm deep hole, and filled with a bag of post mix which seemed to do the job. Levelled and left to set.
The lawn has been under snow since Monday after applying ferrous sulphate - will it be dead?
Last year I used Wilko for grass seed believe it or not!
They sell it from bulk sacks and you just fill paper bags with as much as you need and pay by weight.
They had (from memory) Fine / General Purpose grades and I used the Fine quality.
It took well and and the price was comparable to what I saw on line with the benefit of just buying what I needed.
Price was a fraction of the branded seed in a box that they also sold alongside it.
They sell it from bulk sacks and you just fill paper bags with as much as you need and pay by weight.
They had (from memory) Fine / General Purpose grades and I used the Fine quality.
It took well and and the price was comparable to what I saw on line with the benefit of just buying what I needed.
Price was a fraction of the branded seed in a box that they also sold alongside it.
I went to Wickes other day, they had 2 pallets of compost outside, 40p a bag, normally £5 a bag. All ripped but had been bagged up in builders bags. I took the lot, 2 trips, suspension a bit creaky now! I'll give it to the end of March then overseed using Green Velvet, which I might add is excellent and the bags of compost over the top to cover it lightly.
Today was the first opportunity to get out into the garden in a long time, and I've had an empty skip waiting to be filled for the last three weeks. We have decided to reshape the lawn to give us bigger borders and effectively start again with the planting (I've realised I'm not very good at the design work so will enlist some help!). We are also digging up some horrible decorative stones around the patio and intend to extend the paving. We've a home exchange coming up so the pressure is on!
Last year I scarified and re-seeded but I think it was too late in the season; I compounded this by deciding to use some lawn food in November which has a poor decision....I'm hoping it will start looking much better as soon as the weather improves.
Last year I scarified and re-seeded but I think it was too late in the season; I compounded this by deciding to use some lawn food in November which has a poor decision....I'm hoping it will start looking much better as soon as the weather improves.
tim0409 said:
Today was the first opportunity to get out into the garden in a long time, and I've had an empty skip waiting to be filled for the last three weeks. We have decided to reshape the lawn to give us bigger borders and effectively start again with the planting
I'm in exactly the same position as you - having moved just before Christmas and wanting bigger borders. Are you doing anything to the lawn edges to help with mowing? I came onto the thread to ask for cost effective suggestions. Some of the plastic cr*p on amazon etc. seems very pricey for what it is, timber edgings or brick on edge is possible but I think will work out expensive.I've used black Aluminium Composite cut down to 100mm widths out of a 3050 x 1500mm sheet. It's the same material as used in building cladding (Grenfell etc). It's easy to conform it to the border radius and it stays nicely in position when backfilled with soil. A local converter should cut up a sheet for you for ~£75.
It should be long lasting and impervious to the weather. The strips I put down in the summer of last year appear to have survived the winter very well.
It should be long lasting and impervious to the weather. The strips I put down in the summer of last year appear to have survived the winter very well.
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