Laying or sowing a new lawn will transform your garden and beautifully
offset borders and paths, but before rushing out to buy seed or soil,
think first about the look you want to achieve and whether you’ll have
time to maintain it. There are many different types of lawn grasses and
the mix you opt for in seed or sod will determine the type of lawn you
end up with. Alternatively, to achieve a great looking lawn year-round
with minimal maintenance, consider installing fake grass
Fine lawns
The beauty of a fine lawn, striped alternately deep and rich green by close cutting with a cylinder mower, is hard to deny. To achieve this effect, you need to set the lawn with specific fine lawn grasses such as bents and fescues, slow-growing types that demand a lot of pampering. Broad-leaved grasses and hard-wearing types, including perennial ryegrass, would spoil the effect.
You can try for the “bow ling green” look, but somebody in the family is going to have to make this lawn their priority throughout the year. This will start with immaculate preparation for the seed or sod, and what will have to amount to an obsession with weed and moss control, because these fine grasses don’t take kindly to competition. Even with lots of effort, fine lawns will be doubly hard to maintain on poor, sandy soils with low nutrient content.
Good to look at, fine lawns are not designed for regular use by children, dogs, or bicycles. Those old garden signs saying “keep off the grass” meant what they said.
For an area under trees and treehouse, choose a shade-tolerant mix of grasses.
Durable lawns
Most of us will opt for lawns that we can use as well as admire. Mixtures of grasses, including broad-leaved species and perennial ryegrass, stand up remarkably well to wear and tear. These are interesting lawns too, and the meadow grasses, crested dog’s tail and Timothy often used in the mixes are pretty when they come up to flower, should a meadow area be left uncut. These are lawns you can walk on, lie on, and let children and dogs play on. Our large durable lawn has to withstand badminton games, bicycles, scratching chickens, and even the hooves of a Shetland pony.
Most lawn grasses need an open, light situation in which to thrive. If you are intending to start a lawn in a lightly shaded position, there are shade-tolerant lawn mixes to try. But in deep shade, where lawn grasses will always struggle, I would opt for a hard surface or shingle mulch.
Choose the right lawn for your household, and caring for it will be a pleasure rather than a horrible shock.
