Weeds to introduce into lawn that is mown regularly.

micearguers

I'm looking for good weeds to introduce into my lawn. It is not a meadow, so they should be able to survive regular mowing, and ideally not be thugs that will destroy a border if they get into it. Right now I have a lot of white clover and daisies; I am introducing self-heal and yarrow and was considering creeping cinquefoil, but fear it may be too thuggish. The clover works really well, as it is very drought resistant and keeps the lawn greener for much longer., and the daisies are just a joy. I have two patches that are allowed to flower, so these are not mown during summer and allow the clover and anything else in there to self-seed. Another consideration is that the weeds or plants should combine well with grass; I have bits where acaena and thyme romp into the lawn, which is lovely, but on a larger scale I think that something like a camomile/thyme/acaena etc lawn will require weeding out of grass, which is not my intention.

B3

Ajuga -I don't like it but I leave it- can take over a bit but it's easy to pull out violets are much nicer. I like to see them in my flower beds too although many would disagree.
I tend to leave most wild flowers in my lawn apart from one's that have leaves flat to the ground as they stop anything else from growing. I've never actually planted anything in my lawn, - even grass! I just wait to see what pops up.

Buttercupdays

Dare I say celandine? I have them in my 'lawn' and they make me smile every spring, they look so happy!

My patch is shady and damp, and the self-heal loves it, though it will grow in drier places. Yarrow wants sun and poorer soil to thrive, so you may have to put them in different places.

I get Cardamine  pratensis, (Cuckoo Flower or Ladies' Smock), seeding into mine and it looks lovely in spring. I just leave the first cut till somewhere in  late May, when things are going over.

My soil is very acid and Tormentil and Eyebright both grow in our sheep fields, they cope with grazing so shouldn't mind mowing. I'm going to move some in from the fields to the garden, as we have in mind to make a 'short' meadow area next to our 'long' one. If your soil is right, they might suit you, both are very pretty.

Harebells could be another possibility for your unmown patch, perhaps, or cowslips.

If you want to branch out even more there are bulbs to consider! Snowdrops, aconites (Eranthis), little crocuses like Tommasinianus, wood anemones, Pushkinias, Scillas, Tulipa sylvestris and even T.sprengerii, and Camassia esculenta will all naturalise in grass, given the right amount of shade/moisture. Not all of those mentioned are native though, if that is a consideration.

micearguers

I have lots of violets around the garden, but they don't seem to enter the lawn, not even the scrappy bits - I quite like them, although I wish the violets I get flowered more and were prettier. Lesser celandine does occasionally grow in the lawn as well as elsewhere, but I remove it, and it's not yet a losing battle. Ajuga ... I bought a variety in a GC once that might as well have been named 'Usain Bolt'. Interesting thought though, there may be other members in that family or varieties that could work for me. Do you mow regularly @B3 ? You lawn sounds a lot wilder than mine (nice) ... OH wants to lie on it, so I have some constraints, and I still like to have a lawn that is restful for the eye.

micearguers

@Buttercupdays that's a great list of plants, thanks! I feel bad now, casually revealing my murderous celandine-regime! I'm on quite alkaline soil that in summer can get very dry. The bulbs, now that I think about it, could be nice to try for my unmown patches. Will be looking up those other plants as well.

Fire

Daisies and red clover and great.

B3

Well, my OH does. It gets no food or water except rain. Sunny bits are 'weedier' than the shady bits.