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Thread: Lawns are bad

  1. #1

    Lawns are bad


  2. #2
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gambatte View Post
    Well, that article came as a bit of a shock to me: it had never even occurred to me that anyone might want to water their lawn, let alone use fertilisers or pesticides.

    Anyway, thank you Gambatte for raising this at just the right time to advertise No Mow May https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/disc...ure/no-mow-may . I will certainly be leaving the flowers to grow on my lawn next month. In any case, I generally leave three or four weeks between mowings. And over the years that I have lived in my present house, I have gradually eaten away at the area covered by lawn, by digging some of it up for my attempts to grow vegetables, and planting a tree on one side.

    Incidentally, I have heard of people complaining about moss on their lawns. But surely moss is the perfect lawn plant: rich green colour, soft and springy, doesn't need mowing. I've got some lovely moss in the shadier part of my lawn.
    In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
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  3. #3
    Master PeteS's Avatar
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    I have to agree. I would much rather extend the veg bed and lose the lawn but Mrs S insists on keeping it. I guess it has its place and does offset the borders nicely. Its probably less than 10% of the area of the garden anyway and the majority of the rest is pretty wildlife friendly.
    Last edited by PeteS; 29-04-2022 at 07:46 PM.
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  4. #4
    Moderator noel's Avatar
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    I like a lawn, but mine has got clover and other flowers in it.

    Moss is spongy but stays wet and isn't as hard-wearing as grass. You can't really picnic or play on a mossy lawn.

  5. #5
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    I've been mowing lawns for most of the day. Not those manicured things but ones with moss, dandelions and clover amongst other things.
    As soon as I start a Blackbird(s) appear looking for worms which come to the surface as a reaction to vibration.
    Also usually a Robin, chasing insects I have disturbed.

    Lawns can be very nature friendly!
    Visibility good except in Hill Fog

  6. #6
    Master mr brightside's Avatar
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    I can go about 3 months between mowings, but when it's long it's hard to see all the stones and spark plugs in it. My mower is a bag of shit, if I bend the blade it just comes off on a LH thread and I hammer it back into shape. The wheels keep falling off it too. There's quite a lot of wildlife in my garden, the borders are jungles and I once raked up a hedgehog.

  7. #7
    Moderator Mossdog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Llani Boy View Post
    I've been mowing lawns for most of the day. Not those manicured things but ones with moss, dandelions and clover amongst other things.
    As soon as I start a Blackbird(s) appear looking for worms which come to the surface as a reaction to vibration.
    Also usually a Robin, chasing insects I have disturbed.

    Lawns can be very nature friendly!
    Totally agree. Mine's covered in daisies, eyebright, self-heal and clovers to name a few - and the birds love it. Especially the sparrow-hawk whose topped a few blackbirds feeding on the apples I scatter around occasionally. This year I've seen plenty of pied wagtails, thrushes and blackbirds making use of it, and the dandelion seeds and clovers attract gold finches later in the year.

    Best of all though, is that the lawn provides me with a great excuse for driving and revving my Honda petrol mower around and about. And it's also a wonderful frisbee throw-leap-catch-and-fetch pitch for the border collie Ive been fostering. BBC...Huh!
    Am Yisrael Chai

  8. #8
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    I went to see one of my "customers" properties today to see if their lawn wanted mowing. It is a second home, the main residence being in London somewhere.

    They happened to be in and the lady said that she was not sure she wanted me to cut it as she wanted to take part in No Mow May to protect the wildlife. She added that it was a big thing in London this year.

    I told her not to be so daft as there was plenty of space for wildlife up here. Her husband laughed and said "told you so".

    It was raining today but tomorrow it'll be mown.
    Visibility good except in Hill Fog

  9. #9
    Moderator Mossdog's Avatar
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    My lawn mower, like most, has a number of different settings so you can vary the cut height. Don't think I've ever used it except on the very lowest. A Number One 'crew cut' all around.

    This is my second Honda petrol mower. The first lasted 15 years and I only had to replace it because the steel body had rotted through too much (despite my fastidious cleaning). The more expensive versions have a plastic composite thingy instead of steel. The engine, etc, was still going strong (I've keep in in the unlikely event I'll need spares). A part from bi-annually replacing the blades, and my giving it an annual service (oil, plug cleaning, air filter) it rarely missed a beat and started first pull usually. Honda Izy = great machines.
    Am Yisrael Chai

  10. #10
    Senior Member Marco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mossdog View Post
    My lawn mower, like most, has a number of different settings so you can vary the cut height. Don't think I've ever used it except on the very lowest. A Number One 'crew cut' all around.
    Lawnmower? I use shears. Or rather I occasionally use shears.

    Before anyone thinks I'm an eco zealot, I should point out that my total lawn area (if re-arranged into a regular rectangle), would be just about big enough to fit a two person tent.

    Now that the flowers and nettles are growing nicely I will leave it. I look at/admire the wild flowers, and pick and cook the nettles.

    Probably hacks off my neighbours, but on both sides of me they have completely block-paved theirs so aren't in a strong position to get on their moral high horse

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