My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Gardening

Please help with my dog/ child garden! I almost ordered fake grass...

3 replies

Asleeponasunbeam · 11/07/2014 19:53

...and then realised what a mistake I was making.

We have a biggish garden. Some areas are being repaved/ decked and there'll be a paved bit in shade intended for the dog (not fenced off though, in current plan). That leaves a 24 square metre rectangle that is currently grass. Mud. Bare patches. Not a lawn...

We want a shrubbery type area taking up a semicircle/ quarter circle at one end and there is an area for pots between a path and the garage. The children have pots by their playhouse and sandpit (decked).

So it's what to do with the largish expanse of grass. It's awful. Very uneven, impossible to mow properly and we've tried reseeding several times. Cost isn't a huge problem (I've been given some money by a family member who wants me to spend it...!) but our own time is a problem i.e. we want to enjoy being in the garden, not doing it.

I'm thinking of getting someone to come and level it properly and lay good turf. But what do I do about the dog (obedient springer spaniel. Obedient. But a springer spaniel...)

DH is resistant to effort and spending! But he doesn't have to look after two under 5's for the summer. Nor does he need to do much cleaning up of the dog's muddy paw prints!

OP posts:
Report
Purplewithred · 15/07/2014 22:05

Get someone to come in and do a really good returfing job - killing and digging over the current turf, improving the soil and laying new on top nice and flat. Then try to keep everyone, dog included, off it for a while until it's properly established. What does the dog do?

Report
MaudantWit · 16/07/2014 09:40

I agree. Use that generous gift of money to have the lawn relaid. Now isn't really the ideal time to do it as it'll need a lot of watering while it establishes, but if you can manage that, you'll have a lovely play space for the children over the summer.

Report
Jubelteen · 16/07/2014 09:49

We had artificial grass laid earlier in the year. It's fantastic, looks completely realistic and maintenance free, we just give it an occasional brush with a broom and water a disinfectant mix on as the dogs do their business on it.
Even after a heavy downpour the dogs can tear around and don't get muddy, no clumps get churned up etc.
It wasn't cheap just under £1k for an area 25msq.
I'd recommend it.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.