There are numerous different gravels available, so choose gravel that is subtle and natural-looking and won’t detract from any planting. Plants are essential for interest, though, so always aim for a healthy ratio of two-thirds plants to one-third gravel. It’s permeable, and the crunch factor makes for a useful security measure, too. Where gravel really proves useful is in the front garden, where a tiny lawn can be a pain to mow. However, replacing a large lawn in the garden of a suburban semi with a sea of gravel is rather boring, and impractical for families with children. Gravel is an ideal lawn alternative, being easy to use and suitable for both traditional and contemporary garden designs. The timing of the cut is important: spring meadows are left uncut until mid-summer, whereas summer meadows are mown to 10cm in spring then left to flower and seed before cutting again in the fall. To keep perennial meadows looking good, cut them once or twice a year. Prepare the ground thoroughly before sowing – you can’t simply sprinkle meadow seed over an existing lawn, so unfortunately you will need to start from scratch. Perennial meadows last a lot longer, but need TLC and time to establish, so don’t expect an attractive display until at least two years after sowing. Annual mixes are quick to flower, but need re-sowing each spring for best results. Most meadow mixes fall into two categories. Some come pre-germinated and supplied on mats that you simply lay like normal turf (try MeadowMat or Wild Flower Turf) – use these for an instant effect, but expect to pay a lot more. Traditionally this meant stripping off the rich topsoil beforehand (wildflowers love poorer soils), but there are now lots of blends available for all soil types and situations. It’s extra work but results in a more colorful display. The alternative is to sow a special meadow mix instead (try MAS Seeds). For example, poppies don’t like thick clay, but knapweed does.
If you want something akin to an idyllic country meadow, there are two options: the easiest is to plant wildflower plug-plants throughout the long grass, chosen with your soil type in mind. Letting lawn grass grow long doesn’t automatically mean masses of wildflowers will appear, however grasses will dominate. Areas near the house can be cut as normal, with paths made with a mower through longer grass in areas that aren’t used regularly. Of course, not all the lawn has to be left to grow long. Leaving existing grass to grow also means you can revert to a close-cropped sward again relatively easily, by trimming the length low enough to take the lawnmower. On a large scale, this is the most sensible option, since replacing the lawn with anything else will be prohibitively expensive – or back-breaking work. Make a meadowĪn increasingly popular option, a meadow works well as part of a wildlife garden and can be created by simply allowing existing lawn grass to grow longer than usual, and cutting it only once or twice in summer.
Jeremy Yamaguchi adds that 'no, you can't live off of a personal garden, but it will provide supplemental nutrition for you and your family and cut down on how much you need to buy from the store.' 7. Raised garden beds are easy to build yourself or buy and you'll have fresh homegrown produce to supplement your diet. If you're looking for an alternative to grass that's productive as well as good-looking, consider starting a kitchen garden.
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