With our increasingly frenetic lifestyles and shrinking plot sizes, lush, grassy lawns (and all the space and maintenance they entail) can be impractical. Yet before you deck or pave over your patch, consider the array of stunningly beautiful mow-free grass alternatives out there with superior tolerance to drought, shade and saturated soils. These can offer greater wildlife value and, frankly, be more visually interesting, too. Here are some of my favourite alternative “lawns” for miniature urban spots.
For drought tolerance: sedums (various species) Tiny succulent rosettes create an undulating carpet of emerald green with flowers from April to October in jewel-like shades of white, pink and yellow. Perfect if you have a postage-stamp lawn – and you will never, ever need to mow. Sedums soldier on in poor soils even in the harshest droughts. You can now buy mats of mixed sedum species – ready to lay like rolls of turf – that will reputedly survive up to four scorching weeks with zero water. The foliage in some species can turn bright red in the colder months, adding winter interest, too. They require fierce drainage so are great for sandy soils or gravely beds on exposed sites.
For shady, moist places: Leptinella squalida In Japan dozens of moss cultivars are sold to gardeners as a lawn-like ground cover for shady or soggy patches, creating magical woodland landscapes. Mind-your-own-business (Soleirolia soleirolii) is often used as a quick-growing substitute in the UK and works well in very sheltered spots away from harsh frosts. If you are not in a microclimate such as London or southwest England, the miniature fern-like fronds of the New Zealand native leptinella work even better, growing in sun and shade, creating a dense carpet that will tolerate foot traffic well when established. They look impossibly exotic as a groundcover in small courtyards between tree ferns and hardy orchids.
For fragrance: Thymus praecox ‘Coccineus’ On hot, sunny street kerbs or the edges of gravelly driveways, creeping thyme will create a hardwearing carpet that flushes bright pink in the summer with thousands of frothy flowers. Wander over it and the fresh, herbal scent is released. Absolutely irresistible to bees, too, so watch your step if barefoot!
For flowers: Pratia pedunculata Masses of tiny, white flowers of pratia stud this lush, green, inch-high carpet like stars throughout spring and summer. Like something straight out of a fairytale, it is, however, one of the most tough and hardwearing of all non-grass lawns when established. It’s even been tested as a sports turf option, making it great for those with kids and dogs.
Email James at james.wong@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @Botanygeek
