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
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 very small 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.

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 - 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 in summer.
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 reflective colours 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 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 minimised, 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 colours, 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 turf

Design Books

Design Your Garden Diarmuid Gavin

The Garden Planner
Robin Williams

John Brookes Garden Design

The Essential Garden Design Workbook
Rosemary Alexander

RHS Really Small Gardens
Jill Billington