"The No-work garden"...........

[veggiechicken]

Chapter 3 - Make mowing easier.

Cut it as short as possible each time.

Can you dispense with grass altogether - patio, slabs, mulch?
Use lime to sweeten the soil amongst the grass roots. (I ignored this bit as I don't worry about what the grass looks like.)

Empty the clippings from the mower frequently. Clogged mowers are inefficient. keep a barrow/bin at the end of each row to empty the clippings into.
Use the clippings in thin layers as a mulch.

If grass is too long, cut it in half widths each time.

[mothhawk]

I like his philosophy that actually, most plants grow fine in garden soil without improving the soil or applying fertiliser (in whatever form). More fertile means more growth that ultimately means more to be dealt with, trimmed, pruned, divided etc, and more pests on the soft lush greenery. Bigger is not always better unless you grow to show.

[Snadger]

Chapter 3 - Make mowing easier.

Cut it as short as possible each time.

Can you dispense with grass altogether - patio, slabs, mulch?
Use lime to sweeten the soil amongst the grass roots. (I ignored this bit as I don't worry about what the grass looks like.)

Empty the clippings from the mower frequently. Clogged mowers are inefficient. keep a barrow/bin at the end of each row to empty the clippings into.
Use the clippings in thin layers as a mulch.

If grass is too long, cut it in half widths each time.

B*ll*cks!

Cut as low as possible if you want to encourage weed grasses like Annual Meadow Grass (AMG) Poa Annua. If you want to keep your grass green, raise the mower blades.

Use of lime will green grass in the short term but will also encourage AMG and if soil is already alkaline , could kill the grass.
How long are the rows he is clipping? I only empty my mower box twice and I have a large garden
Never take off more than 1/3rd of grass height per cut.

[veggiechicken]

I knew that would upset you!!
He also says - don't ask an expert how to care for a lawn. as the expert will be a green keeper who will tell you how to grow a perfect lawn, one that mustn't be walked upon or played upon.

[rary]

Chapter 3 - Make mowing easier.

Cut it as short as possible each time.

Can you dispense with grass altogether - patio, slabs, mulch?

I find that bit hard to believe as patios and slabs are known to contribute to flooding, as for dispensing with the grass, it is used as a play area for the grandchildren or a place to sit and relax and also a great source of compost accelerator and mulch

[chillithyme]

I'm managing my plot rather than keeping it neat. I'm choosing produce over tidiness as I haven't mastered doing both at the same time yet Autumn/winter will be my tidy up time.

I like my one grass path, but event that can get out of control. It does look pretty once or twice a year when I cut it by hand

I'm liking the updates on the tips VC, makes me feel less guilty about the parts that I have negelcted

[veggiechicken]

Rary, the Book title is "The No-work garden" - "getting the most out of your garden for the least amount of work" and he says that "grass" is one of the greatest time wasters.
Whether you want to keep the grass is up to you!!

[veggiechicken]

Chapter 3 contd.
Edging and how to reduce it.

Every piece of edge require labour regularly. Less edging = less work.
Amalgamate beds and border.
Grass paths between 2 beds will always look worn in the middle. Replace it with stepping stones/slabs .
Make beds up to existing hard edges. A narrow strip of grass between a drive and a bed may look nice but its a make-work scheme. Replace the grass with low growing plants like thymes.
Or, plant the edge of the bed with strong plants that can overhang the grass edge so that you can't see it but your mower can slip under them.

[rary]

Rary, the Book title is "The No-work garden" - "getting the most out of your garden for the least amount of work" and he says that "grass" is one of the greatest time wasters.
Whether you want to keep the grass is up to you!!

I recognise what he is saying but as I said using the grass cuttings as a mulch contributes to cutting down time and labour as its easy to empty the cut grass around my plants thereby saving having to lift a mulch out of a bin or wherever, and as I have put a wooden path round my garden flush with the grass I don't have any edging to do as I just run over it with the lawnmower, and just as a matter of interest while sitting out in the sun yesterday it was actually cooler with the seating on the grass than on the patio

[veggiechicken]

Empty the clippings from the mower frequently. Clogged mowers are inefficient. keep a barrow/bin at the end of each row to empty the clippings into.
Use the clippings in thin layers as a mulch.

Did you miss the bit where BF said to use the clippings as mulch, rary.

Just checking as you said the same thing twice

[rary]

Why do you expect me to see that when it is dark outside
Dear VC could you please remove a duplicate post
I thought better putting Dear VC rather than VC dear
Anyway it is easier to take the grass cuttings straight to the garden than putting it in a bin

[veggiechicken]

Since you ask so nicely, rary dear.....................its good to know that neither of us come cheap.

[rary]

Is that cheap or cheep, oh no chickens cluck
And thanks for that