Having just had new lawns laid and noticing the bindweed popping up in it here and there I wouldn't dream of having any other weeds on it to seed themselves into it. Next year I plan on deliberately planting some meadow plants into it, but in the meantime all weeds go into the bucket or pot I have with me and thence to the green bin. Decent stuff goes in the compost bin. I don't understand leaving the grass to grow to see what pops up. The 'lawns' that my new turf replaced were primarily some horrible thing that spread and completely outperformed the grass, some tough old grass - I suspect couch - plantains, dandelions etc. etc. No nice native orchids, birds foot trefoil, clover... If its not there to start with it won't come up through the grass.
Call me cynical but It seems to be a bit of latent trend...a nice visible way to ease our consumerist guilty conscience by "giving space" to nature. We can surely offer more by planting for longer flowering seasons and using plants that are right for the conditions of our patch. Not creating a mess because it signifies to the neighbours "you care".
Anyway, good luck with those messy urban meadows. The garden is full of life and I still have a nice lawn 🤣
...The garden is full of life and I still have a nice lawn 🤣
Same here. I have stuffed full borders with a few trees which birds nest in and lots of different flowers, many of which seem to be popular with insects, as well as untidy corners like the hedge bottoms and the log pile behind the compost bins, so i think there's plenty for wildlife whilst keeping a reasonably tidy lawn. It's by no means perfect, but I keep it quite short and dig out the rosette-type weeds when I spot them. I can see the benefit in uncut grass if there's nothing much else in the garden, or if the borders are the kind with individual plants and gaps in between.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I'm inclined to say "It's your garden so do whatever you like" with 3 provisos - don't upset the neighbours, don't frighten the horses and learn from any mistakes. Personally I have only managed 1 of those 3 but then I'm still learning
"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." Sir Terry Pratchett
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Anyway, good luck with those messy urban meadows. The garden is full of life and I still have a nice lawn 🤣