Wonder if anyone could suggest a solution for me please garden too big now.

Spanish Eyes

Hello,

Hope all are coping with the lockdown.

Front garden is fine, driveway with cobblelock but have plenty of plants in runoff beds on the sides.

Back garden is a bit of a burden now. It is too big for me (with spinal issues) to cut the grass right now. Had a chap come in for two years, but he is wary of coming at the moment. Can't blame him.

Anyway, is there any way I could get the back garden into a low maintenance (no lawn) state at all? I want it to be sustainable and encourage wildlife as it does now.

Any suggestions out there. Garden is 40 metres long and 20 wide, I think! Very long and skinny if you get me. South facing too which is a bonus I know.

All help welcome. Just need ideas for now as I realise landscaping is not going to happen anytime soon.

enricoh

A mate of mine mows a strip along the perimeter and leaves the interior go wild.
He just does the strip so the ditches don't encroach

s7ryf3925pivug

Robot mower

s7ryf3925pivug

Letting the grass grow really long is great for wildlife. Also good for the soil. We did it with one of our front lawns. The length all disappears in the autumn. Lawn is in great shape now. One caveat is if you have a dog then good luck trying to find her poop in the summer.

BarryD2

enricoh wrote: »

A mate of mine mows a strip along the perimeter and leaves the interior go wild.
He just does the strip so the ditches don't encroach

And add a couple of criss cross paths for interest. Then you have a series of path choices to walk around. I've done this with half the land at the back of ours.

Spanish Eyes

Callie Moldy Virtue wrote: »

Letting the grass grow really long is great for wildlife. Also good for the soil. We did it with one of our front lawns. The length all disappears in the autumn. Lawn is in great shape now. One caveat is if you have a dog then good luck trying to find her poop in the summer.

Yes I know the long grass is great, still, it is looking awful right now, it is so high and looking neglected, and I worry about how high it will grow now!

Was really looking for a solution for taking out the lawn, while still keeping the wildlife near. Low maintenance with the birds and the bees!

Impossible I suppose. But have lots of trees (plums), and wall covering climbers like jasmine, Clematis, and grape vines, and lots of other bits and bobs.

It's the feckin grass really. That's high maintenance for someone like me who cannot use a mower due to back issues. But anyway, thanks so much for all your help.

GreeBo

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Yes I know the long grass is great, still, it is looking awful right now, it is so high and looking neglected, and I worry about how high it will grow now!

Was really looking for a solution for taking out the lawn, while still keeping the wildlife near. Low maintenance with the birds and the bees!

Impossible I suppose. But have lots of trees (plums), and wall covering climbers like jasmine, Clematis, and grape vines, and lots of other bits and bobs.

It's the feckin grass really. That's high maintenance for someone like me who cannot use a mower due to back issues. But anyway, thanks so much for all your help.

If you just let it grow then it will be thick and ugly, but if once a year in winter, you cut it all back and remove what's cut it will thin out and you will get that nice tall wispy stuff.

You can also throw some wildflower seeds into the mix, same rules apply about cutting right back and removing debris in winter.

Add some paths as recommended above and you will have a lovely area full of wildlife with minimal maintenance.

magicbastarder

miniature woodland! no worries about grass with that...

Spanish Eyes

Thanks for all replies. Just stuck a bit.

The neighbours all have pristine gardens out the back, mine is looking a bit sad at the moment.

They have teenager kids who will cut their grass. That's grand. I don't, and my family are in quarantine because of vulnerable children and parents too.

krissovo

We have a wild garden to break up a large lawn, creeping thyme is beautiful and spreads like mad and stays low to keep the grass under control. We have purple and red flowers and it looks great in bloom. Also clover covers large patches lovely and stays low. A benefit of the creepers is that bees love our garden plus you can still walk around with ease and really low maintenance.

Spanish Eyes

krissovo wrote: »

We have a wild garden to break up a large lawn, creeping thyme is beautiful and spreads like mad and stays low to keep the grass under control. We have purple and red flowers and it looks great in bloom. Also clover covers large patches lovely and stays low. A benefit of the creepers is that bees love our garden plus you can still walk around with ease and really low maintenance.

Sounds great, thanks so much. Will have a look.

s7ryf3925pivug

krissovo wrote: »

We have a wild garden to break up a large lawn, creeping thyme is beautiful and spreads like mad and stays low to keep the grass under control. We have purple and red flowers and it looks great in bloom. Also clover covers large patches lovely and stays low. A benefit of the creepers is that bees love our garden plus you can still walk around with ease and really low maintenance.

That's a great idea. I've a big area of lawn that is destroyed and am wondering what to do with it. It's clay and Google says clover improves that while thyme dies. I was wondering whether you have any issue with weeds with your wild garden?

Spanish Eyes

Oh dear, went out to the garden today and plucked a humungous amount of weeds out of the grass. I have a kneeler so it worked for my poor back.

Dandelions galore, but I know they will die down soon so not so worried about that. The height of the grass is incredible though. A bit of rain early on followed by this glorious weather led to this, and I am flummoxed!

A neighbour has a great mower, but I am reluctant to ask him to help in the current circs. as he is cocooning. Fekk this. The day of the Triffids approaches!

NIMAN

Surely someone could come in and cut your garden for you, if they are just there on their own?

You mentioned a gardener earlier in the thread? Give them a call. I don't see an issue with them popping round to do it as long as they don't have people around them.

Spanish Eyes

NIMAN wrote: »

Surely someone could come in and cut your garden for you, if they are just there on their own?

You mentioned a gardener earlier in the thread? Give them a call. I don't see an issue with them popping round to do it as long as they don't have people around them.

Yes have a guy every two weeks. However he has said he doesn’t feel comfortable driving his van with the gardening equipment at the moment, because if he is stopped his work is not on the essential list.

NIMAN

Ah righteo. I see.
He might have a point.