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Username_wahl31 Jul 2016 00:43Hello, I’m currently facing a difficult decision about what to do with our garden. The property is over 1100 sqm (11,840 sq ft), so let’s say about 800 sqm (8,600 sq ft) behind the house. My dream has always been a natural garden with a pond, wood piles, wildflower meadow, stone wall, and so on. Right now, it’s a bumpy area with various plants, unfortunately including stinging nettles, thistles, blackberries, and ragwort, which also seem to attract ticks and possibly grass mites. Compared to the sterile neighboring gardens, it also looks a bit untidy.
My brother-in-law suggests leveling everything with a mini excavator, applying topsoil, and sowing lawn. The advantage would be that my kids could play soccer, camp, or do other activities there. The only driveway at the moment is through the garage, where garage doors will soon be installed, so after that no excavator will be able to enter the garden.
The downside would be the costs, especially for the topsoil (money is unfortunately all used up), the mess (it would have to be dumped in front of the house first), and the work involved (countless wheelbarrow loads to be filled, driven behind the house, and spread out).
Has anyone here created a natural garden? Would you do it again?
My brother-in-law suggests leveling everything with a mini excavator, applying topsoil, and sowing lawn. The advantage would be that my kids could play soccer, camp, or do other activities there. The only driveway at the moment is through the garage, where garage doors will soon be installed, so after that no excavator will be able to enter the garden.
The downside would be the costs, especially for the topsoil (money is unfortunately all used up), the mess (it would have to be dumped in front of the house first), and the work involved (countless wheelbarrow loads to be filled, driven behind the house, and spread out).
Has anyone here created a natural garden? Would you do it again?
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Username_wahl31 Jul 2016 10:28Here is a photo showing the garden sloping down to the left and towards the back.
Hello,
my plot is about 1500sqm (16000 sq ft). Of that, around 100sqm (1100 sq ft) is lawn. The rest I leave to grow naturally. I just occasionally mow a path through the middle so it’s walkable. I’ve also sown some flower meadow seeds to specifically support the bees.
Gradually, I plan to enhance this ‘natural area’ with a few features: a small bird pond, a larger pile of stones for lizards, wooden structures for insects, and so on.
The advantage is that for grilling and sunbathing, you use the lawn area, and you get the good feeling of having an eco-friendly zone. But be careful—my experience shows that even the ‘eco area’ requires some maintenance time, although less than the lawn.
my plot is about 1500sqm (16000 sq ft). Of that, around 100sqm (1100 sq ft) is lawn. The rest I leave to grow naturally. I just occasionally mow a path through the middle so it’s walkable. I’ve also sown some flower meadow seeds to specifically support the bees.
Gradually, I plan to enhance this ‘natural area’ with a few features: a small bird pond, a larger pile of stones for lizards, wooden structures for insects, and so on.
The advantage is that for grilling and sunbathing, you use the lawn area, and you get the good feeling of having an eco-friendly zone. But be careful—my experience shows that even the ‘eco area’ requires some maintenance time, although less than the lawn.
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