Mini meadow lawn

Hi all.

My lawn is shocking. Here's what's wrong with it:
1. The grass is about dead, there are big bald patches in it.

2. There are weeds in it.

3. My incinerator bin is on it, and I've scorched an area all round the bin.

And this is what I was thinking of doing about it. I am hoping someone on here will either tell me its a good plan, or stop me before I ruin it forever

1. Dig it all over and pull out any roots I see.

2. Place some stone stepping stones as a path.

3. Build a slightly raised concrete area for my incinerator bin (literally consisting of a flagstone raised on two logs or some bricks).

4. Scatter a wildflower meadow mix consisting of native grasses and meadow flowers.

5. Cross my fingers and hope for the best.

I'm sorry if this sounds ridiculous, but I really am no expert at this sort of thing. I want a low maintenance garden. I don't spend much time there (my spare time goes to my new plot out in the countryside), I just need it to look less of an eyesore. Is this a good plan or am I insane?

 

Try it, if the wildflowers dont take then you can always seed it with normal grass.

Mix some fine topsoild or compost in with the meadow mix as the seed is often very fine and hard to broadcast on its own.

 

depends on how often you want to cut your grass. Wild meadow areas tend to get cut just twice a year to get the best from there flowers.

 

"3. Build a slightly raised concrete area for my incinerator bin (literally consisting of a flagstone raised on two logs or some bricks)."

:eek:

I'd be a bit worried that this was unsafe: the stability of it for one thing + you need to make sure you use fire proof bricks - not sure how safe a flagstone may be unless its real stone. Could you not in lay the bricks or stone within the lawn itself as you are doing with your stepping stones? As long as its big enough, this should be ok I think.

Wildflower lawns are great! they bring in lots of wildlife and look lovely - I have an area in my allotment that I've dedicated to meadow which has been there for a couple of years now, but I didn't remove the grass, just thoroughly raked it over and reseeded with a mixture mixed with sand so I could see where I'd chucked it. You could bung in some bulbs too in the Autumn for early colour. I mow paths through it (though the resident foxes have their own ideas about where these should be ) I cut half of it back in August and leave the clippings on for a couple of days (so the seeds can fall) then compost them (the other half gets left over winter to feed the resident wildlife and look pretty in a faded kind of way - I'm alternating which bits I leave).
Go for it! - if it doesn't work out, you can try something else and you'll have plenty of stuff for the compost :D

 

I agree they do look great when in full flower. How often do you mow yours? I worked on wild flower meadows for the local council some years back and then they were advocating bi-annual cutting but I imagine that flowers from grazed meadows would tolerate more frequent croping.

 

Sounds like a cool job! I mow the paths about once a week (with a pushmower)in the growing season and scythe half down at the end of August (or early Sept if I'm being especially lazy ). I know all the received wisdom is cutting twice a year, but mine seems to be doing ok on only one cut a year. The half left over winter gets a chop in March when its looking manky and its (a bit) warmer. I imagine grazed meadows grow a bit shorter too!