I'm a complete beginner gardener and I'd really like some advice. I have a fairly large front garden and small back garden and I'd like to get rid of the lawn as I don't have any time to maintain it. I'd like to use shingles or pebbles or something similar and get rid of the lawn but have no idea how I'd go about doing that. Would I have to dig up the lawn or can I just lay it over the top (with a sheet of something underneath)?
Any advice would be really appreciated!
Hi Katanga,
You note in your profile that you live in Portsmouth. There are several towns with that name, but I'm thinking you are in the UK. If so, you might want to add that to your location.
In the UK gravel or pea gravel is very popular. You would need to remove all the lawn that is there. You can rent a sod cutter to remove it and the roots.
https://www.usa.husqvarna.com/?url=%2Fnode1508%2Easp%3Fframes%3Dfalse
There are different types of pea gravel, and the one that is smooth isn't the best for what you are thinking of doing as it migrates when you walk. You would do better with one that has rough edges as it settles together better. You might find a combination of stepable groundcovers and pea shingles helpful instead of all hard surfaces. You might find these RHS sites helpful.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/design/design4.asp
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0805/gravel_garden.asp
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/design/design1.asp
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/problems_design.asp
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1105/gardendesign.asp
Newt
You note in your profile that you live in Portsmouth. There are several towns with that name, but I'm thinking you are in the UK. If so, you might want to add that to your location.
In the UK gravel or pea gravel is very popular. You would need to remove all the lawn that is there. You can rent a sod cutter to remove it and the roots.
https://www.usa.husqvarna.com/?url=%2Fnode1508%2Easp%3Fframes%3Dfalse
There are different types of pea gravel, and the one that is smooth isn't the best for what you are thinking of doing as it migrates when you walk. You would do better with one that has rough edges as it settles together better. You might find a combination of stepable groundcovers and pea shingles helpful instead of all hard surfaces. You might find these RHS sites helpful.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/design/design4.asp
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0805/gravel_garden.asp
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/design/design1.asp
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/problems_design.asp
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1105/gardendesign.asp
Newt
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opabinia51
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- Location: Victoria, BC
If you simply place gravel over the lawn, the lawn will grow up through the gravel and it will look terrible.
To make the area look the best; dig up as much of the lawn as you can and place the sod in a compost pile. Then, lay down plastic or newspaper (I would recommend newspaper (black and white, no colour articles)) and cover that with the gravel.
To make the area look the best; dig up as much of the lawn as you can and place the sod in a compost pile. Then, lay down plastic or newspaper (I would recommend newspaper (black and white, no colour articles)) and cover that with the gravel.
Last edited by opabinia51 on Tue Nov 21, 2006 8:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.