Re-wilding an artificial lawn... Need help!!!
Ecat27
Posts: 6
Hello forum!
I've already received some helpful advice about another area of my new garden but i am also hoping for some help with a bigger project.
I'm still in planning stage as I don't really have any budget at the moment but it's good to think about what i will do about this specific problem.
Previous owners of our house put in a large expanse of plastic lawn in 2018. It seems to be of a high quality and a good job done, but unfortunately I really, really hate artificial grass, for many reasons, most of which are probably obvious to anyone who likes nature and gardening. Anyway, I want to get rid. Problem is, underneath the offending plastic, is a layer of sand, a layer of membrane and then about 10cm or so of compacted rubble (may be deeper in other areas as I think they had it levelled off, and I've only checked one bit- the neighbours garden slopes a lot more than ours). The area is quite big and I don't think i'm up to the task of removing however many tonnes of rubble are under there, so am looking at other options.
I don't want to replace with lawn necesarily. My original though was to remove plastic grass and just build raised beds on top of the rubble, and have gravel paths in between, but not sure about drainage, or about them drying out too much in hot summers? I'm also not sure I can make the design look as natural as i'd like with raised beds as they're a bit angular... although have seen some nice ones on pinterest.
And then I also wondered about if I could just turn it into a gravel garden? could I just dig into the rubble somehow (with a pickaxe???) and remove some, add soil etc and just grow specific plants? i don't know how much soil is actually involved in a gravel garden, presumably some, under the gravel???
As you can tell I am a beginner, but I want to be able to do as much of this myself to keep costs down.
Does anyone have any ideas/inspiration/experience of re-wilding an artifical lawn????
I've already received some helpful advice about another area of my new garden but i am also hoping for some help with a bigger project.
I'm still in planning stage as I don't really have any budget at the moment but it's good to think about what i will do about this specific problem.
Previous owners of our house put in a large expanse of plastic lawn in 2018. It seems to be of a high quality and a good job done, but unfortunately I really, really hate artificial grass, for many reasons, most of which are probably obvious to anyone who likes nature and gardening. Anyway, I want to get rid. Problem is, underneath the offending plastic, is a layer of sand, a layer of membrane and then about 10cm or so of compacted rubble (may be deeper in other areas as I think they had it levelled off, and I've only checked one bit- the neighbours garden slopes a lot more than ours). The area is quite big and I don't think i'm up to the task of removing however many tonnes of rubble are under there, so am looking at other options.
I don't want to replace with lawn necesarily. My original though was to remove plastic grass and just build raised beds on top of the rubble, and have gravel paths in between, but not sure about drainage, or about them drying out too much in hot summers? I'm also not sure I can make the design look as natural as i'd like with raised beds as they're a bit angular... although have seen some nice ones on pinterest.
And then I also wondered about if I could just turn it into a gravel garden? could I just dig into the rubble somehow (with a pickaxe???) and remove some, add soil etc and just grow specific plants? i don't know how much soil is actually involved in a gravel garden, presumably some, under the gravel???
As you can tell I am a beginner, but I want to be able to do as much of this myself to keep costs down.
Does anyone have any ideas/inspiration/experience of re-wilding an artifical lawn????
0
Posts
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
do love Derek Jarman's garden althugh maybe a bit beach-y...
Or this
https://www.bethchatto.co.uk/garden-nursery/gallery/gravel-garden.htm
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
it’s on your doorstep (and mine). Have a look at the Desert Wash garden …
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
as it's only down the road! thank you!
Fire said: Hiya yes I think this is very sensible, i have had a little bit of an exploratory dig with a trowel under one bit but really need to get a shovel to it. I think I'll do that this weekend but will keep the lawn to cover it over again... as much as i don't like the plastic grass it's defintiely preferable to a load of sand and weed membrane so i will keep it until i am ready to start the project!
pansyface said: Thanks for this - i've just been looking at the beth chatto website - now if i could create something like that I'd be happy!
Thanks everyone so much for your help. I'm sure I'll be back to ask for more help as I go along!
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border