I would like to change my lawn from square to circular. I have a weeping cherry tree in the centre and would like advice of a couple of things, -
Is there a product I could use to kill the present lawn (has never been in good condition), without killing my tree?
What would be the best thing to use for edging a circular lawn?
What plants would be best for around the circular lawn to give the garden a "modern" look?
What is the best thing to use to help with drainage?
My garden is at the front of the house and is quite small.
I am fairly new to this, so any advice would be helpful.

please help my new dog has pulled all grass up in garden its just a mud bath out side how do i get my lawn back will seeds do the trick when do i put them down if so many thanks

Valerie - I have just created a garden for my son and have put in a circular lawn. For the edges I have used stone sets but bricks would look equally good but make sure they are paving bricks rather than house bricks which degrade too fast. These must be set so that the mower can run over them for ease of maintenance.
The lawn can be killed using a glyphosate based herbicide such as Roundup but take care to avoid getting it on the trunk of the tree or any low branches or leaves.
You could spread a generous layer of pea gravel or coarse grit and fork that into the top few inches to improve the surface drainage although it is hard to know how bad the drainage is. Is the poor condition of the old lawn due to poor drainage or erhaps excessive shade and drought from the cherry tree?
As far as what plants to use it would be wrong for me to make detailed suggestions without knowing the aspect of the area and the scale. Also are the planting areas moist or dry, shaded or sunny.
Spiky plants such as phormiums give a modern look as well as ornamental grasses, mix in some bold foliage perhaps hostas, and try to use some evergreens for winter effect.
I hope this gives you food for thought.

valerie hutton i am not a great lover of weedkillers etc and my suggestion would be to cover the area with an old blanket, carpet or weed suppressant membrane weighted down with bricks, for a couple of weeks (at least) this will weaken the whole area. when you uncover it should be easy to fork over ,remove any perrenial weeds and at the same time fork in lots of coarse grit then lightly feed the whole area and top dress 3/4 inches should do it with top soil . tread firmly rake to get a good tilth and seed (quantity according to area or re-turf. by the time the cover comes off the weather should be good enough to seed. easy peasy just hard work

nikki thompson what a pain. my dog is in the process of destoying the top of my garden where she visits every day i`m trying to retrain her to toilet in a less conspicuos place ( as speaking from long term experience ) we have discovered they can render the soil just about unworkable i`m afraid re-seeding could be a waste of time, effort and money unless you can divert the dog . sorry to sound negative

Hi Valerie

You could try removing the old turf, stacking it in an out the way place with grass side down. Cover with black polythene or sacking. If left it will eventually rot down to a lovely loam - this could be used as an ingredient in potting mixes for large containers.

The next issue of Gardens Monthly has a lawn supplement which will cover some of questions you have asked - it is on sale on 2nd March

our grass has gone really bad this year. it looks bare everywhere. could it be earthworms as some of the soil looks like it is. why has all the grass gone. we had a new lawn laid 3 years ago and it has been fine. it always tends to go bad in winter but this year it is very extreme .
can you suggest what it could be
many thanks
alison rees

please help!

i need advice on my lawn? the lawn is so muddy, the more it rains the worse it gets. I'm thinking its probably easier to get rid of all the lawn but do not know what to lay instead. I have a dog who likes to visit the lawn but the mud & mess he brings into the house is unbelievable! the house was built on a allotment with no drainage. i'm despairing of what to do??

Hi Alison - you may have a problem with either leatherjackets of chafer grubs. Lift up a piece of the turf and see if there any grubs. If they are a grey colour then they are likely to be leatherjackets. If they are slightly "C" shaped and creamy white then chafer grubs may be the culprit. If either of these are to blame then Provado Lawn Grub Killer will do the trick but follow the instructions on the packet very carefully.
Another common problem with lawns is too much shade perhaps caused by buildings or overhanging trees. During the winter the light levels are too low for adequate grass growth so it just goes backwards. During the summer the overall laight levels are better nd the lawn may recover a bit.
It is very difficult to diagnose problems without seeing the site. Poor drainage can also contribute to the problem.

hi! can anyone advise me on my previos dilemna??? thanks x

hi michelle, i have the same problem! a small wet garden and two small dogs! i want to get rid of the grass and landscape it, have nice stones and pots but where do you start?! any designs or ideas please!

Hi,
I live in a very clay area and love gardening but this year due to the amount of rain, my lawn has turned into a mud bath - I want to put in some drainage but all the ones I have seen so far require an area for the water to be absorbed into well drained area - I have none - can anyone please suggest how I can resolve this problem.
Thanks

How do i grow my own lawn from grass seed? Or is it better to buy turf ready to lay instead. Can any one help?

Hi Greta, Laying turf is definitely the easier option for an instant result. To find out how to lay your turf or to seed a great place for information is the Rolawn website, they also sell pre-turfing and feeding fertilisers. You can sign up on their website for free lawn tips can even buy turf on-line.

Hi Greta

Whether you choose grass seed or turf the ground still has to be well-prepared in the same way eg dug over, levelled, raked to a tilth, then firmed down with the back of your heels.

Turf is quicker but grass seed is cheaper. Grass seed isn't that difficult to sow but requires some patience and you need to net it to keep the birds off until the seed has germinated and rooted.

Hi Greta

Whether you choose grass seed or turf the ground still has to be well-prepared in the same way eg dug over, levelled, raked to a tilth, then firmed down with the back of your heels.

Turf is quicker but grass seed is cheaper. Grass seed isn't that difficult to sow but requires some patience and you need to net it to keep the birds off until the seed has germinated and rooted.

I think it comes down to how big a lawn you want and how soon you want to use it and the cost.

Hi Michelle, I sympathise with you, I have 2 dogs the younger of which, a lab!, charges round the garden creating a mud bath, like a ponies' field, and bringing it all indoors. The running around has compacted the soil so drainage is a problem. It takes several days to drain away. The only solution I can think of is when the weather is better, rotovate, improve soil quality and returf or even make lawn smaller by increasing the hard landscaping. Any further suggestions would be welcome as inspiration is desperately needed.

Hi Sue! many thanks for advice. i'm going to shingle the whole garden, as i really do not know what else to do! the problem has been getting worse year after year, so i feel this is the best solution.

Hi Michelle
If you use gravel - choose the bigger type of stone. Fine pea shingle attracts cats who use it as cat litter.

hi! liz! brilliant! thanks for the advice. i will def use bigger stones