Hey everyone! I'm about to buy my first house, and with that comes the responsibility of taking care of a lawn. I want to create a beautiful backyard without the hassle of constant grass mowing. I've heard a lot about clover lawns and I'm open to them, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has experience with that or other lawn alternatives. I want something that's better for pollinators and the environment, but I also want an area where I can walk around comfortably—not just a wildflower meadow. I'm in the Midlands, but I'm not very knowledgeable about my soil conditions. Thanks for any suggestions! ?
4 Answers
My garden gets decent sunlight, though it’s the UK, so we do have a lot of cloudy days. But I’ve found that if you don’t overfeed and water your grass and let it grow a bit longer between mows, you won't need to cut it very often. Mine only needs about 2-3 mows a year, and over time, I’ve seen clover, dandelions, and daisies popping up, which are great for the bees!
I’ve switched to clover, and it’s fantastic! It doesn’t grow too high, which is a bonus. We also get a lot of dandelions, but I’ve left them for the bees. Forget-me-nots and alyssum sprout up easily here. All I do is use a strimmer every couple of months for a quick tidy-up—super easy!
I've got a good system going where I pay some local guys to mow my lawn every two weeks during the growing season. We keep some areas as a wildflower meadow, which only gets cut once in October. I prefer having some grass rather than going completely grass-free, plus it saves me the trouble of buying, maintaining, and storing a lawnmower. Works for me as long as I can keep it affordable!
Constant mowing drives me crazy! ? If you can avoid it, definitely explore some alternatives!
Absolutely! I’ve definitely noticed that letting the grass grow longer helps create a more diverse habitat for pollinators. Plus, it reduces the need for regular mowing!