In an age of climate crisis, decreasing biodiversity and heightened awareness of water consumption, an immaculate, weed-free lawn is becoming as taboo as an outdoor heater.However, provided we take a more sustainable approach to their upkeep, embracing beneficial “weeds” and long grass, the lawn still has a place in our gardens.
I’ve got one; if I didn’t, the kids would take their shenanigans into the borders, which would be game over for beloved brittle-stemmed flowers such as lilies and irises. I’ve reduced its size, though, to probably the minimum necessary for maintaining this crucial equilibrium (if ever they demand a trampoline I’m screwed). At about 25 sq metres, the lawn occupies about a quarter of our little garden – enough to kick a ball down or race a scooter around.
It’s a delightful place to lie in summer and, practically speaking, over which to hang the washing line. There’s a timeless visual appeal in the definition between grass and border, the formal contrasting with the feral. Lawns even have their benefits for wildlife: solitary bees, such as theashy mining bee, burrow nests in patchy areas of short grass; foxes and hedgehogs use lawns as travel corridors; and the moss that can build up on more compacted lawn soilsoffers shelter for invertebrates.
There are ways to make our lawns more sustainable, too. Even just avoiding mowing during the burgeoning weeks of spring – in line with theNo Mow Mayprinciple, for example – offers wildlife respite and an important window of opportunity. So, for those endeavouring towards a more environmentally sound, wildlife-friendly lawn, here are some tips.
Wildflower seed collection
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Consider the function your lawn performs – a path to traverse, a place to sit or play, or a purely aesthetic feature. Now, decide if its extent can be lessened a little while still serving that purpose. Could a percentage be left to grow long instead? Long grass is invaluable as a place of forage and refuge for wildlife. It’s also far more botanically biodiverse, accommodating many species of wildflower, such as yarrow and wild carrot, and a range of seeding grasses. You can facilitate all the more wildflowers by actively stripping away the lawn in these areas and sowing a mix ofwildflower seedsor layingwildflower turf. Another option is to give over yet more room for long grass and simply mow a pathway through it for access. The mown path, as the author Michael Pollan once wrote, “is a thing of incomparable beauty”.
This is simple and effective. By cutting your grass less frequently, not only will you save on time, effort and energy costs, but you’ll also reduce the irrigation demands, too. Grass cut closely, particularly during periods of drought, can lead to a greater demand for watering. Longer grass is better able to weather such stress, keeping the soil cooler and retaining a level of moisture. If you haven’t already practised it, now is the time to considerNo Mow May: allowing your grass to grow tall offers a huge boost for nature, providing food and habitat for a great range of wildlife. Another good option is to raise the cutting height of your mower, ensuring the grass is kept at a height that induces the establishment of deeper roots.
Harcostarwater butt
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During summer heatwaves and periods of drought, the kneejerk reaction for any lawn devotee is to reach for the hosepipe or sprinkler. However, the chances are that, without copious, regular dowses, the lawn will struggle regardless. It’s better to come to terms with a little browning over the summer months – as the lawn exercises periods of dormancy to conserve its resources – than to waste unsustainable volumes of water keeping it green. With sufficient rain, the lawn will likely return to full health. In addition, a rainwater-harvesting water butt can offer an alternative supply of emergency water for those times rainfall dries up.
Flymo Easiglide corded hover lawnmower
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It might seem obvious, but swapping the petrol mower for an electric alternative will greatly reduce the environmental impact of your lawn cutting. Despite my old petrol mower having been passed down through three generations, I bought an electric one for our little back garden (sorry, Dad), and donated the petrol mower to pastures new. There are some excellent cordless, battery-powered mowers available that can tackle larger spaces, but for my little patch, a handyFlymosuffices.
Knapsack sprayer
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A well-fed lawn will keep the grass greener and denser, while lower fertility will encourage wildflowers and weeds to establish. As above, the latter is no bad thing; however, those set on the former might consider making homemade fertiliser, rather than relying on shop-bought (and most often plastic-packaged) options. You can make your own liquid organic fertiliser by stewing garden plants, such as comfrey and nettle, into a tea and diluting this for lawn application via a knapsack sprayer. You can also elect to leave your mown grass clippings on top of the lawn, provided they aren’t too bulky. The clippings will rot down over time and return nutrients to the soil. Mowing over fallen leaves in autumn will work in a similar way.
Niwakihorihori Knife
£32.95 at Sarah Raven£32.99 at Crocus
Kent & Stowe daisy grubber
£7.99 at Chessington Garden Centre£10.72 at Amazon
Finally, and probably most crucially, avoid using weedkiller on the lawn. If you see a few weeds you’d rather not be there, use a hori hori knife from Niwaki, or Kent and Stowe’s forked-tipped Daisy Grubber to make light work of removing them by hand. However, if they’ve spread much wider – perhaps because the lawn was laid incorrectly in the first place, whether on too-compacted or too-freely draining a soil – either make peace with the abundant diversity or consider relaying or reseeding it on improved soil.
Matt Collins is a garden, nature and travel writer, and head gardener at the Garden Museum in London