Lawn or 'Edible Estate'

[jondy]

An article in a magazine said that in the US 'A food not lawns movement is growing daily. Domestic grass is the country's biggest and most useless crop'. The article went on to say that vegetables are less work in many ways, throw away your lawnmowers and pick up a spade.
I am hooked on the idea, part of my rear garden is sloping and never used, except to mow the grass when it is overgrown with an even rougher wild life bit that is left. The soil is good, the slope and the stony soil means it dries out quickly.
Would I have to terrace a sloping site? What could a first timer grow?

Any advice wellcome John

[Milims]

I had all grass - and then Chris came along! Now there is a small amount of grass inthe back garden and lots of places to grow veg. There was a gravelled bit in the front as well as a lawn - so that's where the flowers will go and the back will be all veg. So we'll have an area for play and a big area for food - just the way we like it!

[Thomzo]

Hi Jondy
One advantage of grass on a slope is that it stabilises the soil and stops it all washing down to the bottom. If it is a steep slope then you might have to terrace it to stop that happening. It also depends on how easy it is to work. If you can walk around it easily then you probably don't need to terrace it but if it's really steep you might find it difficult to work it without doing so.

What direction does the slope face? If it faces away from the sun then plants might struggle to get enough light. If it faces into the sun then it will dry out quickly.

You could think about fruit bushes. The roots would help to stabilise the slope and there is less walking around to do.

If it is too dry, could you rig up an irrigation system with a water butt at the top of the slope? Then bury some "leaky" hose so that the water gets to the roots rather than just washing down the slope.

Good luck - you may have to try some different ideas but have fun while you're doing it.

Zoe

[ina]

As Zoe says - it all depends. Nearby there's one of those "big houses" with a garden that's open to the public. It's all lightly south sloping, and enclosed with a high wall. Perfect growing conditions! They've terraced some of it, and left other bits sloping, depending on what they've got growing there. They are at least a month ahead of everybody else around them...

[Thomzo]

Ina
I think you've answered a question that's been bothering me for the last 5 years! My garden faces south but is on a very slight northfacing slope. No more than 1/30 yet it's always a good week or so behind everyone else's in this part of the world. I bet that's the reason.

Cheers
Zoe

[ina]

Could well be!

Another way to go about a slope - make raised beds instead of terraces, and leave the paths in between grassed. That way you don't lose the stabilising effect.

[Millymollymandy]

What a load of tosh about the grass being useless!!!

Hello? Grass clippings are very necessary for your compost heap. You need something like 2/3rds green stuff for 1/3 woody stuff. Where do you get the green stuff from if not mostly from a lawn?

Then there is the wildlife issue. Unless you have a perfect 'English lawn' it will be full of wild flowers which are full of nectar for insects and butterflies, not to mention all the caterpillars/butterflies and moths which feed on various grass species.

Then there are all the edible plants growing in it, such as sorrel and dandelions.

Add to that - have you ever been in a grassless garden and felt the heat that comes from it - especially if it is gravel? Grass is cooling.

[ina]

Add to that - have you ever been in a grassless garden and felt the heat that comes from it - especially if it is gravel? Grass is cooling.

We never had any grass in our garden back home... All veg, with a few flowers thrown in for light relief! And no grass necessary for the compost, either.

[Thurston Garden]

I would love to dig up our back grass and maybe, when I get the rest of it in order I will. OH is not too keen. Not even keen on my 2 paddock idea...too near the house apparently.

I have a photo of the house taken in 1948 and you can make out the back part of the garden with veggies in. It is just asking to be dug up! That would still leave a nice cottage garden at the front - perfect for swiss chard and runner beans

I would upload the photo, but that would give my location away!