Poppies
If you've discovered the delights of a ‘lazy lawn’, now’s the time to take the next steps and develop a flower-spangled meadow for next year.
Advice from expert Sue Fisher...
How green was your lawn this year? As in terms of diversity and wildlife, that is, rather than colour – the unseasonably wet summer resulted in the lushest, greenest growth I’ve ever seen in August. Yet while many lawnmowers have been busier than usual, others have been taking a break.
Earlier this year, thousands of gardeners embraced ‘No-mow May’, an inspired initiative from the charity Plantlife, and were enchanted by the results, with the buzz of lawnmowers being replaced by the hum of countless insects. If you discovered the delights of a ‘lazy lawn’, now’s the time to take the next steps and develop a flower-spangled meadow for next year.
First, ensure the grass doesn’t get the upper hand and crowd out the flowers. Your ally is an attractive flowering annual plant, Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus major), which reduces the vigour of grass by up to 60%. Seed must be sown in autumn and fresh-collected this year, so do buy from a reputable source. At the same time, sow other wildflower seed too, like ox eye daisy, campion, vetch, and knapweed. Before sowing, cut the grass as short as possible, remove the clippings, and rake the surface vigorously to expose patches of bare soil. www.plantlife.org.uk has lots more useful information.
Autumn is bulb planting season and Narcissi (daffodils) are perfectly at home growing in grass. Do choose with care to create the right effects: while big mixed sacks of daffodils are temptingly priced, the large blowsy blooms never look at home in a meadow lawn, plus their big leaves take months to die back. Instead, select two or three varieties of smaller narcissi and stagger the flowering times to enjoy colour for months: early varieties include ‘February Gold’, ‘Jetfire’, and our native wild daffodil or Lent lily Narcissus pseudonarcissus – all short-growing and able to withstand the gales, then for late spring, plant the single white poet’s or pheasant’s eye narcissus, N. poeticus var recurvus which has tall stems to bear flowers above the growing grass. When planting, aim for a natural look with bulbs scattered in clumps of varying numbers. I use a spade for planting, first cutting squares or rectangles of turf on three sides to roll back, exposing the soil, then digging a large wide hole for each group of bulbs. Finally, batter the turf a bit before rolling back in place to break up the grass roots so the bulbs don’t lift the turves as their shoots grow.
How to make the most of autumn’s leaves
Fallen leaves may be hard work to gather up, but they are a wonderful resource that can be turned into leaf mould, a superb soil conditioner that can be dug in when preparing ground for planting; spread on the surface as a weed-suppressing mulch; and sieved to add to potting compost.
If you have lots of trees, give leaf-clearing an order of priority: lawns and plants first, because wet leaves form a thick suffocating blanket that keeps off light, along with ponds where leaves rot down and can upset the natural balance. Leaves can be left to rot down in situ on bare soil between trees and shrubs, or piled up in corners and under hedgerows as snug hibernation spots for hedgehogs and amphibians.
Making leaf mould is very straightforward but takes time – at least a year, often more. Because leaves take longer to break down than other garden waste, keep them separate rather than in a compost bin. This could be an open-topped container made of mesh (which needn’t be fancy – wire mesh wrapped round four posts, for example). Other options are sturdy black plastic sacks or old compost bags, with a few holes pierced in the bottom; hessian sacks; or woven plastic ‘dumpy’ bags that building supplies come in. If dry when gathered up, water your leaves as you fill your container as moisture is essential for them to break down and become wonderful, crumbly, mega-useful leaf mould.
Seasonal gardening jobs
- Grow some watercress for healthy winter salads using bagged watercress bought from the greengrocer. Place shoots in water to root, then plant into troughs or pots and keep moist.
- Autumn is the ideal season to plant anything hardy like shrubs, roses, trees, and hedging, while the soil is warm and moist and perfect to encourage lots of root growth.
- Clean out the greenhouse in advance of winter before it fills with plants. Take everything out, wash glass inside and out to make the most of scarce winter light. Good hygiene, and avoiding using the greenhouse for general storage, avoids a lot of potential pest and disease problems.
- Pot up bedding plants like geraniums and busy lizzies, to bring indoors and enjoy on your windowsill for weeks more colour.
- Plant spring bedding and bulbs in patio pot and window boxes.