Lawn care tips: How to Creating a non grass lawn ideas UK

Lawncareidea - The majority of lawns in london, UK are grown with grasses, but in some situations other plants may be used as an alternative. The use of non-grass species in lawns goes back to Elizabethan times when many herbs such as chamomile were used in lawns to create a sweet smelling fragrance when walked upon. Pennyroyal was also used as part of a lawn to help deter fleas and other insects. Even today many very old, established lawns around country houses have a mixture of chamomile and grass in the lawn.

The pleasures of a non-grass lawn lie in the different fragrances that many of the plants give off, their coloured foliage and, in some cases, attractive flowers that help to attract wildlife into the garden.

Non-grass lawns work well in courtyards or other places where lawn mower access is difficult, or around the base of a tree or garden sculptures where you want something a little different. Many plants will tolerate being mown occasionally and are ideal for creating small areas of lawn where grass is not wanted, but most of the plants used will not stand heavy traffic and such a lawn will only really work as an ornamental feature. They will never be a substitute for a grass lawn but it is fun to have a small area in the garden and they are guaranteed to be a talking point.

lanscaping non grass lawn ideas with violet thyme ground

Suitable plants for a non-grass lawn

Thyme (Thymus)
Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobilis)
Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)
Clover (Trifolium)
Mixed low-growing alpines – for example, Saxifrage (Saxifraga) and Pratia

Maintenance requirements

The main disadvantage in a non-grass lawn is that the maintenance can be quite intensive during the early stages of establishment. Weeds can be a problem until the plants grow together, and as there are no selective weedkillers available for use on broad-leaved plants, hand weeding is the only solution.

However, as the plants establish and form a dense mat, weeds will become less of a problem. Mowing only needs to be undertaken once or twice a year to keep the plants in trim.