Making A Mowing Edge for Your Lawn by Andrew Lawrence

Edging the lawn with brick or paving, so that the mower can run over it saving time and energy, means that the only trimming you will need to do will be occasionally cutting back any long stems of grass that grow over the paving.

1)Lay paving slabs or bricks on the grass for positioning, and use a half-moon edger (edging iron) to cut an edge.

2)Slice off the grass with a spade and remove soil to the depth of the pavers, plus several centimetres (a couple of inches). Lay a sub-base of sand and gravel mix, and consolidate it using a piece of wood and a mallet.

3)For paving slabs, use five blobs of mortar for each slab, and lay them on top, then tap them hard, using a mallet. Bricks will just need a small blob of mortar under each.

4)Make sure the slabs are flush with the lawn, and use a spirit level to ensure the slabs are laid evenly. Mortar the joints for a neat finish, otherwise unsightly weeds will grow in them.

Alternatives To Grass
If you like a green lawn, but don't enjoy or have time for regular mowing, you could consider a grass substitute. Those mentioned here are fine for occasional foot traffic and as a visual focal point, but they wont stand up to the hard wear of a children's play area like grass will.

There are other drawbacks to using grass substitutes for lawns. You wont be able to use selective lawn weed-killers on them, so you will have to hand weed as necessary for a season or two, until the plants have knitted together. Beware of common stonecrop (sedum acre), an attractive yellow flowered carpeter sometimes sold as a grass substitute. It may become a serious weed in your garden.

Thyme
A quick spreader with attractive foliage and flowers, thyme makes a good grass substitute and is aromatic when crushed. Culinary thyme (thymus vulgaris) is too tall, so use a carpeter like T.pseudolanuginosus or T.serpyllum.

Chamomile
Another aromatic plant for lawns is chamomile (chamaemelum nobile, syn. Anthemis nobilis). Look for the variety 'Treneague', which is compact and does not normally flower.

Clover
If clover is a problem in your lawn, it may make a good grass substitute. Once established it will keep green for most of the year and will tolerate dry soils. You'll only have to mow a couple of times a year, after the flowers appear, to keep it looking smart.

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