The desire for a perfect weed free lawn is no longer set to be the ultimate garden statement. The latest trend in the garden is to use flowers and herbs to “bee” more environmentally friendly.
One example of this is a beautiful floral, scented lawn, just planted in a west London park which is providing a better habitat for pollinating insects than traditional grass, according to researchers.
The grass-free lawn, which is believed to be the first in a public park, was the brainchild of PhD researcher Lionel Smith from the University of Reading and was commissioned for the park by Kensington and Chelsea council.
Mr Smith told BBC News how he devised the lawn and explains that its plants, which include daisies red-flowering clover, thyme, chamomile, pennyroyal and Corsican mint, create a “pollinator-friendly patchwork” – with 25% more insect life than that found in “traditionally managed grass lawns”.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22846419
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/10113049/Is-flowering-sward-the-death-knell-for-the-English-lawn.html
This post was written by:
Debbie - who has written 872 posts on My Climate Change Garden.
I am not an experienced gardener - more of an enthusiastic amateur who learns by trial and error and who is keen to "manage" the effects of shifting weather patterns on my garden.
Writing this blog is my passion and it has evolved over 12 years to inspire engagement with climate change outside our back doors, in our personal gardens and green spaces.
My mission is to fertilise and expand this platform to grow a community of global gardeners communicating about the effects of climate change on our plants and exploring how each individual can make small changes in our lives to become more sustainable.
The future of our gardens and #OurPlanet is in our hands - please plant your own seeds for our collective sustainable future.
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Tue, Jun 11, 2013
Climate Change, Lawns, UK Climate Change