A lawn is a traditional feature of many gardens. Old fashioned gardens always had acres of grass and lawns were often used as outdoor areas for entertaining, playing games, and as a way of breaking up the different sections of the garden.
Many modern gardens are designed around a central lawn area. Flower beds and borders decorate the edges and the lawn takes up the majority of the garden space. But is a lawn right for your garden or could a different design prove more appealing?
Reasons to Cultivate a Lawn
- Kids Play Area – Children love to play outdoors, which is something all parents should encourage. Lawns are great for kids to play ball games or run around with their friends. You can also install a trampoline on a flat area of lawn.
- Extra Large Gardens – Shrubs, flowers and most plants require more care and attention than a lawn. Flowers need dead heading, borders need regular weeding and shrubs must be pruned at various intervals. If your garden is very large and you have extensive borders and flower beds, gardening will be a full-time job whereas cutting a large lawn will take up a lot less of your time.
- Outdoor Entertaining – Large lawns are perfect for outdoor entertaining. You can set up a table and chairs, a few sun beds and relax in the sunshine with friends. You could even dance on the lawn if you like!
Reasons to Try a Different Garden Design
- Low Maintenance Gardens – Although tending a large lawn is relatively low maintenance when compared to taking care of numerous borders and flowerbeds, for some people even cutting the grass once per week is a chore. In this instance, it is a good idea to use gravel, stones, paving and timber decking areas interspersed with a few hardy plants and shrubs to create a really low maintenance garden.
- Hot Climate – Grass does not respond well to drought conditions, so if you live in a hot, arid climate and there are regular water shortages, a lawn may not be the best option. Instead, look at planting hardy water-resistant plants and flowers and keep the majority of your garden paved.
- Pets – Dogs can wreak havoc on a lawn. Their urine kills the grass and causes dead patches to appear with monotonous regularity. A lot of dogs are also prone to digging holes wherever they feel there may be a treat buried. Neither of these scenarios is good for a lawn, so if you love you pets more than your lawn, it may be a good idea to forget about having a nice lawn and consider a different garden design instead.
A beautiful lawn in tip-top condition looks fabulous, but maintaining it can often be hard work. Regular applications of weed and feed fertilizers will help to improve the appearance of your grass, but be careful not to overdose as too much nitrogen will only make matters worse. You may also need to water your grass during the summer dry spells.
Anne James is a part of the team at Bio-Logic, a company that specializes in organic lawn care and gardening services. She enjoys sharing her expertise through her blog posts. Spending time with her friends is her favorite pastime.
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