Lawn repair phase 2

It had better thrive after so much TLC on it, Karen!

Too right Shirley, I'm cream crackered again!

Paul says it looks like bad drainage, can you get the fork in it, all the way to the end of the tines?

Nope, in this area the fork will only go in about 2". Then you hit stones and stuff.

I can't say i like it but I do appreciate all your hard work. OH looks after our lawns and he has been quite taken with all the wild flowers popping up everywhere. We have wild primroses, vetch, , daisies, white and blue violets and dandelions of course. It looks lovely. We go round the garden every day deadheading the dandelions and usually bag about 450 to 600 heads. It is too windy to spray them and howking them out results in bigger better flowers next time.

hope it all come right for you soon Karen :)

Karen there lies the problem, it is the bad drainage that is causing it. Will speak to him tonight, though I think he will say take it up, take out the rubble and re-lay the turf. I have a better idea can you not make another border ie. straight across to the other two and then put flowers in and an archway and put some stepping stones in. There you have your solution. No grass to worry about. lol. I hate grass, it always has problems people think it is easy to care for, nope, it is a right pain, all sort of weeds and stuff in mine, never could call it a lawn. I gave up on it years ago, hence why I am always chopping bits of it out. Anyway will speak to Paul and see what he says later on today.

Karen I can't do anything with mine at the minute as it's so dry. Re-seeding will have to wait until we get some decent rain. I hate seeing the grass look so bad though.

You know Mum, if it's a choice between relaying it and digging the whole lot out....the new flowerbed will win hands down...the thought had already occurred! Grass is a right pain, I agree. I do like the way it sets off my plants, but I can't stand it when its full of bare patches like this, and that horrid sticky slimy green algae.....yuck!

Annie, I know, I shall have to go out soon to rewet the patch magic.....sigh. Blowing again here today and no rain now for a few days. THankfully all the soil is still damp except at the fence and the pots of course. Me and my hose pipe!

I've been using mine to save time but the lawns only once a week. I use the sprinkler on the slope, makes quite a nice water feature and brings all the frogs out Lol

Ah, froggies!!

They dance around it!

Brilliant! That would make my day!! :)))

Paul says the same as me, dig it out, down to about 12" put in fresh top soil, and reseed.

Oh joy! Another little task for superwoman and a pickaxe! Better wait until my vitamin levels are sorted out then! :))

You sound a bit like I was before they started me on iron and B12 jabs. Feel good now, that is until the B12 starts to dwindle. Addict or what eh? All good stuff. lol

Sorry i clicked like by mistake. I don't mean I like your lawn to look like that lol

Good luck with your lawn......I feel a new design coming on lol

Hywel, I think I'm gonna need good luck with it, it's driving me demented. I'm close to getting it all monoblocked!

It would save time mowing :)

There is that!

I love to see grass in a garden, wish i didn't mind, sometimes i could just dig the lot up, cutting is easier now with the petrol lawnmower.. I like your mums idea Karen, Digging it out and putting an Arch/Stepping stones there..

Hope, everything is OK now with your lawn, Karensusan.

She will no doubt have got some ideas from Chelsea on what to do with that strip of grass, hopefully home soon to tell the tale.

It has been the year of the dandelion down our end this year. My lawn has all sorts growing and I am too mature in years to scratch around to try and correct it. Reluctant to use chemicals while the birds are trying to feed their chicks from the lawn. Dare not put anything with no rain either to soak it in.

Same problems here Dorjac

I look at my disaster of a lawn and remind myself it is a mini wild flower patch. The dandelions, daisies, primroses and blue and white violets are quite beautiful and so attractive to lots of bugs who are one step down in the food chain from our birdies. I think pristine lawns are a necessary design feature in a more formal garden but in one like mine, what we have fits in fine.

I wouldn't mind if it would grow, dandelions or dasies, and especially not forget-me-nots! Anything would be better than slimy green algae and bare earth!

Could you patch it up with some new squares of grass for a quick fix Karen? They are cut wondrously thin these days. A friend commented on the fact that it was not much thicker than a carpet!! This was at a nursery where we called recently.

Well, that's a good idea if i can be bothered to lift the turf and dig down to a depth of a foot to correct the drainage, other wise it will just end up like this again next year. The words Turf and Astra spring to mind!! Or, what about a bright blue polyester carpet like that one at Chelsea? lol

No No No - blue yuk and polyester yuk!!!

Funny, but it was one of those weird things that looked dreadful on the t.v. but seemed to make good sense when you saw it in real life!

Suppose the good thing (one and only good thing) you would not have it to cut, but I bet you still have to vaccuum it, that is as bad as cutting grass in my opinion. lol. Can you imagine the neighbours comments about that doolally person next door vaccuuming the lawn again. lol. I bet the curtains would twitch a lot and the camera lenses would be flashing.

Erm....it was colourful.....

Oh Oliveoil what a picture you conjure up. lol.

Well you can just see it can't you!! lol and what about all the bird poo that would get into it? lol. It would need vaccuuming quite regularly I think. Not to mention the carpet shampooing. lol.

Just reminded me talking of bird poo, the children's playground is being revamped where Paul works, the man in charge of wanting it upgraded decided to install picnic chairs and tables but wanted them outside the play area on a bit of grass away from where the children play.(Sad isn't it, they don't want to be where their children play) Paul challenged the notion, because it would mean more work for him cutting around the darned tables and chairs etc. and because they were out of site of the houses in this other part of the ground there would be more chance of them being vandalised, (out of site out of mind) why is there a need for more and if there are to be some more why not put them in the playground area where they already have some picnic tables and seats. His answer was that the birds have pooed all over them in there, think he thought they would not poo on them in another part of the ground. lol. poor man, needless to say he did not get his own way, they have got to go in the play area. lol. Think he might have to watch his children play whilst having his picnic now. lol.

Last night a neighbour was complaining that he has to watch his two year old on the playground in case she runs out of the open gate on to the road!! So, when it's fixed (the gate) is he just going to leave her to play on her own.....at 2? You've got to wonder some times haven't you! lol.....

Sad aren't they. Do they not understand it is their responsibility they have had the children, they should look after them. What is the world coming to.

Yup. Mum, I'm loving your new avatar....the colour is wonderful on the green background!

yes it is so pretty, have you seen the lemon one on photos. just been looking at them today and there is one that is so so pale lemon, they were all from one packet of seeds grown last year. Amazing colours.

I saw a couple of pale lemon ones at Chelsea. I like them, but I find them a bit too rampant. I do love the ones you sent me though, and a really lovely pale pink one that grows here too. I've just removed two big tall dark blue ones..'blue barlow'..they were too tall and the wind blew them over, so I dug them out and binned them. I have so many now, too many.