Grass seed implementation

paul.graham34 · March 2023

Good morning all,
Total newbie here as the wife tends do all of the garden chores around our house. No excuses but that’s the way it is! ☺️
So please excuse this ramble but I’m trying to manage a project myself and I’ll try and give as much info as I can to see if you lovely people can help me.
At the front of our house, we have a long lawned area which is probably 6/8ft wide and about 80ft long. I say lawned but the area is covered by trees and bushes and we’ve sadly let the leaves take over. So much so that the leaves have been sitting on there maybe 5-8 years.

Also, we have a bit of a long drive so it would make watering the area difficult as there isn’t a hose long enough to water in.

When we moved in 14 years ago, there was a sufficient amount of grass on there which got cut regularly but through our own fault, well mine mainly, it’s what it is now.
So firstly, I’ve thought of getting rid of all the leaves first which would be a big job in itself and get it back to soil and I suppose this is where your help is needed.
I’ve been online/YouTube etc to try and establish the best seed, sowing, watering, spreaders etc. as I’ve said to the OH that this is a project I would like to do.
I’m confused/concerned about birds, water etc and trying to maintain it back to its former glory
Of course I’m happy to answer any questions you may have and I look forward to any help you can offer
Thanks in advance
Paul

JennyJ · March 2023

Do you need to have grass there? Grass doesn't do well in the shade of trees and shrubs and it would be a perpetual chore to maintain, which is presumably at least part of the reason why you haven't done it

. Maybe you could consider keeping it as trees/shrubs, maybe with woodland floor type ground cover and spring bulbs planted in the leaf mould (which is probably lovely stuff by now as it's been building up for years).

If you really want grass, perhaps consider just having a smaller area at the end nearest the house that you can reach with the hose, because new grass whether it's turf or seed or just over-seeding whatever thin grass might be left will need watering unless you're very lucky with the weather. It depends what you want to use the space for.

Jenny_Aster · March 2023

Think your comment 'the leaves have been sitting on there maybe 5-8 years' will have got many on here salivating, I know I am. If you can bag what you can, eventually using it as a mulch for your plants as a feed and to help hold the weeds back.

I'm no expert on lawn making so I'll leave advice to those that are, but I have reseeded patches of my lawn where the dog (and me) have destroyed the grass over the winter. I'm using horticultural fleece to cover the grass seeds (it's not expensive), so far it's looking good, it's keeping the birds off, water is getting through, and is offering some warmth and protection from frosts. I know it looks untidy but it's only for a while, maybe a month or so.

BTW - welcome!

Fairygirl · March 2023

I agree with both of the 'girls' @paul.graham34 - leaf mould is a wonderful resource, and we can give you guidance with storing and using that if you want, but I'd also agree with @JennyJ that it may not be ideal for grass at all, especially if you're in an area where it would need regular watering due to low rainfall. It's a very narrow strip of ground.
If you have a photo of the area, that will also help with advising you of the best route to take. The icon that looks like hills is the one for that.
Many of those shrubs and trees will have grown and spread if they haven't had attention for those 14 years, so the grass will likely have been struggling for a long time, especially under a carpet of leaves.

paul.graham34 · March 2023

Thanks all, I’ll try and upload some photos

Fairygirl · March 2023

Keep them on the smaller side @paul.graham34 and they'll load more easily

I resize all mine to around 1MB or less, then just drag and drop them into my post.

M33R4 · March 2023

I agree with @JennyJ - perhaps rethink whether you need grass there at all.

I would grow ground cover under the trees, but make it interesting by interspersing with other shade loving shrubs, lots of ferns, grasses of various height and colours, lots of evergreen and if you planted taller shrubs just ensure you trim them into the size and shape you want.

In the autumn, I would trim the trees down to a manageable and manicured size and shape.

For watering, I installed a drip hose system that leaks water slowly for plants in my front drive so I never have to stand there with a hose pipe.

I wish I inherited a mature garden like you with trees I can trim and manage instead of having to grow them from scratch that takes nearly 20 years to mature.

paul.graham34 · April 2023

Hello again all,
So I thought I would share some photos of the area concerned. As you can see, my neighbour has grass and then when it comes to mine, the leaves have taken over. As one of you alluded to, maybe it doesn't have to be grass but something more manageable which would still enhance the lane

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/v7/rbepedhv8zs4.jpg

JennyJ · April 2023

What a lovely lane! The neighbour's side where the green grass is, is more open which is probably why the grass does OK there. Yours looks as if it's probably quite shady when the trees and shrubs are in full leaf. If it is shady in summer, I think it would look lovely with lots of spring bulbs and low-growing spring perennials that cope with summer shade like brunnera, pulmonaria etc, and maybe some hardy ferns for summer interest. You could leave what's left of the grass as a semi-wild looking area.

Grass seed implementation

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