Time to ditch the perfect lawn?

[Hotrodder]

Three days. Must have been a big cat.

[Polarengineer]

[Quiksilver]

Three days. Must have been a big cat.

Not really, and not a very big rabbit either. He was practising the (new to him) French art of nouvelle cuisine

[Bayleaf]

With increasing temperatures, and trying to protect our flora and fawna, I saw this today and thought it poignant. Another good excuse/reason why we don't mow often, and never scalp the lawn or collect the grass.

ras la tonte.jpg

[niemeyjt]

It was interesting listening to Bob Flowerdew on GQT yesterday - talking about ornamental grass flowerbeds - using local varieties rather than the fancy pampas grasses - and that it is a good home to grasshoppers (eggs) over winter.

So not just lawns!

[Bayleaf]

Absolutely! It's being encouraged more and more to plant native shrubs etc. to encourage better habitat for our precious little beasties, as well are keeping areas cooler/drought resistant.

Some buddleia etc. are left to go to seed, as it provides a great winter larder for all sorts.

I think many of us have come away from how our parents wanted to have their perfect lawns/flower beds - but it's a hard habit to break.

[niemeyjt]

I have to say Buddleia, or summer lilac, is great for butterflies in summer - but otherwise I think it is a pest - the seeds spread and it takes hold in even the smallest cracks. It is arguably as damaging as Japanese Knotweed.

budd.png

source:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consu ... ty-prices/

I had to remove one that took hold in my daughter's garden wall - and now have to redo the damaged brickwork.

I prefer classic lilac from that perspective.

[Blaze]

We did very little grass cutting this year but the downside was masses of épillets in the garden, a major nuisance to animals, and particularly bad this year. We kept a very close watch on our doggie just in case. It can be particularly difficult for dogs with very thick coats ...

It's been nice seeing the grass green all summer instead of being burnt off, leaving space for the weeds to invade.

I remove or transplant wayward buddleia seedlings but the most annoying for us are the hollyhocks - they self seed everywhere have a huge tap root and get into cracks in the old terrace which is already a mess because of the ants nesting underneath. Cotoneaster also self seeds and I've found it useful to replant them. I have a "nursery" full of self-seeded plants that I've found in the garden or elsewhere and potted up - I could start a business !

Re Japanese Knotweed : I had to look it up and realised that that was the plant we'd seen growing along the sides of roads and in other places in Cote d'Armor (22) when we were there last week. I thought at first it was Russian vine but the leaves were too big. It's very attractive but a nightmare once it takes hold.

[Bayleaf]

It's interesting that they don't seem phased by the old knotweed around here - it just gets hacked back along with the verges. Luckily we don't have that here at home (got every blinking other thing!)

Hemlock is my pet hate - mostly only in one small paddock where the animals don't go, and surrounded by trees so seeds don't disperse easily. Now we have a better tractor and topper, it'll be cut a couple of times a year to hopefully break the cycle.

We've also mowed even less at home this year (hardly surprising with the cost of fuel!). Some areas get scruffy and gorse and broom try to take advantage, but on poor slopes, it's interesting to see other stuff come up and get covered by small butterflies. Immediately around the house is kept fairly short, but it's still remained green throughout. Apart from the areas of heavy usage by vehicles and feet!