How to Make Your Lawn More Wildlife-friendly and Sustainable
It takes know-how to create a lawn that’s both a haven for wildlife and pleasing for you. Here’s how to pimp your patch
In conversations with Houzz garden professionals, we’ve noticed a gentle move away from lawns, particularly the traditional manicured grass look, as our focus shifts to spaces that are more attractive to wildlife and require less water.
Many of us, though, have exactly this kind of centrepiece in our gardens. So what are the options for working with what you’ve got to make your green patch friendlier to nature, as well as part of a space you can enjoy looking at and spending time in? Three experts share their tips.
Professional advice from: Theo Charnley of Wilder Landscapes; Sam Plant of Plantology; Melanie Hick of Melanie Hick Garden Design
Many of us, though, have exactly this kind of centrepiece in our gardens. So what are the options for working with what you’ve got to make your green patch friendlier to nature, as well as part of a space you can enjoy looking at and spending time in? Three experts share their tips.
Professional advice from: Theo Charnley of Wilder Landscapes; Sam Plant of Plantology; Melanie Hick of Melanie Hick Garden Design
Mow strategically
If you prefer to have some mown grass, why not consider cutting certain areas and leaving others to grow? “If we’re to encourage more people to have a wild lawn, the garden has to appeal to the human occupants, too,” Sam Plant says.
His top tip for making a ‘wild lawn’ practical, useable and nice to look at? He suggests mowing pathways through longer grasses and/or focusing on the borders. “Having a defined ‘tidy’ edge can make a huge impact. It brings focus to the wild lawn and highlights that it’s an intentional feature rather than looking ‘out of control’,” he says.
“In long, narrow gardens, for example, we’ve left a single strip of lawn to one side to go ‘wild’, which can look more purposeful,” he continues. “The same idea can be applied to hard-landscaped pathways and is increasingly seen in parks and public gardens.” This photo of one of Sam’s projects shows how it can look.
Having a variety of grass heights is also a good approach from a biodiversity perspective. “Mowing some parts and leaving others will create different habitats for different species,” Theo says.
Find a landscape contractor or gardening services professional to help maintain your lawn.
If you prefer to have some mown grass, why not consider cutting certain areas and leaving others to grow? “If we’re to encourage more people to have a wild lawn, the garden has to appeal to the human occupants, too,” Sam Plant says.
His top tip for making a ‘wild lawn’ practical, useable and nice to look at? He suggests mowing pathways through longer grasses and/or focusing on the borders. “Having a defined ‘tidy’ edge can make a huge impact. It brings focus to the wild lawn and highlights that it’s an intentional feature rather than looking ‘out of control’,” he says.
“In long, narrow gardens, for example, we’ve left a single strip of lawn to one side to go ‘wild’, which can look more purposeful,” he continues. “The same idea can be applied to hard-landscaped pathways and is increasingly seen in parks and public gardens.” This photo of one of Sam’s projects shows how it can look.
Having a variety of grass heights is also a good approach from a biodiversity perspective. “Mowing some parts and leaving others will create different habitats for different species,” Theo says.
Find a landscape contractor or gardening services professional to help maintain your lawn.
Go for an in-between height
Allowing a lawn to grow can be good for attracting wildlife, especially hedgehogs, but it’s easy to get cold feet when it begins to look untidy, which can be worse. “So people then mow the lawn, which destroys the habitats it created and, in some cases, has resulted in injuries to hedgehogs, which sleep during the day in the long grass,” Sam says.
His compromise? Instead of letting your existing lawn grow until you can’t bear it any more, change tack. “Scarify and oversow a short flowering lawn mix and then raise the mower to max height and keep the grass at this mid height – long enough to leave the flowers for bees and insects, yet short enough that it doesn’t invite nesting mammals,” he says.
Allowing a lawn to grow can be good for attracting wildlife, especially hedgehogs, but it’s easy to get cold feet when it begins to look untidy, which can be worse. “So people then mow the lawn, which destroys the habitats it created and, in some cases, has resulted in injuries to hedgehogs, which sleep during the day in the long grass,” Sam says.
His compromise? Instead of letting your existing lawn grow until you can’t bear it any more, change tack. “Scarify and oversow a short flowering lawn mix and then raise the mower to max height and keep the grass at this mid height – long enough to leave the flowers for bees and insects, yet short enough that it doesn’t invite nesting mammals,” he says.
Encourage flowers
Including flowers in your grass will entice pollinators, but what will work in a lawn environment?
“There are lots of species that can be mown frequently but still flower and are fantastic for bees and butterflies as well as humans,” Theo says. “Clover, bird’s foot trefoil, wild thyme, lawn chamomile and wild marjoram are all good options and can be bought on their own or as part of a seed mix and added to your lawn.”
Sam suggests enhancing the taller patches of grass with flowers. “You can plant spring bulbs such as crocuses and Chionodoxa, which look great early in the year, and taller daffodils and Camassia, which flower later and look great grown in the long grass,” he says.
“This is also a much less intensive method of providing pollen and colour to your wild lawn, as it only involves planting a few bulbs into the existing grass in the autumn,” he adds. “You’ll want to mow the lawn early in the year before the bulbs emerge and then leave it for them to flower.”
More: Can I Have a Lawn-free Garden That’s Kind to the Environment?
Including flowers in your grass will entice pollinators, but what will work in a lawn environment?
“There are lots of species that can be mown frequently but still flower and are fantastic for bees and butterflies as well as humans,” Theo says. “Clover, bird’s foot trefoil, wild thyme, lawn chamomile and wild marjoram are all good options and can be bought on their own or as part of a seed mix and added to your lawn.”
Sam suggests enhancing the taller patches of grass with flowers. “You can plant spring bulbs such as crocuses and Chionodoxa, which look great early in the year, and taller daffodils and Camassia, which flower later and look great grown in the long grass,” he says.
“This is also a much less intensive method of providing pollen and colour to your wild lawn, as it only involves planting a few bulbs into the existing grass in the autumn,” he adds. “You’ll want to mow the lawn early in the year before the bulbs emerge and then leave it for them to flower.”
More: Can I Have a Lawn-free Garden That’s Kind to the Environment?
Water less
The amount of water required to maintain the traditional, manicured lawn is a big factor in the move towards a wilder approach. So what’s the best way to combine having a lawn with saving water?
“Increase the mower height to 4cm,” Sam suggests. “This can create thicker swards, which trap morning dew and reduce evaporation.
“For those who do wish to keep a traditionally shorter lawn, using specific drought-tolerant grass mixes containing microclover – or over-sowing with microclover – can make lawns healthier and more drought-tolerant,” he says. “They also look greener, even when the grass is suffering.”
Fescue is another example of a lawn-suitable plant that can tolerate dry conditions and, as a general rule, native seeds and plants will typically require less water. Your garden pro will have more suggestions.
Staying on top of lawn maintenance is also vital. “Generally, keeping the soil healthy will create a more resilient lawn,” Sam says. “Unhealthy or hydrophobic lawns [where the soil begins to repel rather than absorb water] will be more vulnerable to drought. Spring and autumn care – scarifying, aeration, top dressing and so on – contribute to a healthy lawn.
“The use of organic wetting agents can reverse hydrophobia on lawns, which means water will go much further and reduce the need for artificial watering,” he adds, “though be careful, as some of these are petrochemical-based.”
The amount of water required to maintain the traditional, manicured lawn is a big factor in the move towards a wilder approach. So what’s the best way to combine having a lawn with saving water?
“Increase the mower height to 4cm,” Sam suggests. “This can create thicker swards, which trap morning dew and reduce evaporation.
“For those who do wish to keep a traditionally shorter lawn, using specific drought-tolerant grass mixes containing microclover – or over-sowing with microclover – can make lawns healthier and more drought-tolerant,” he says. “They also look greener, even when the grass is suffering.”
Fescue is another example of a lawn-suitable plant that can tolerate dry conditions and, as a general rule, native seeds and plants will typically require less water. Your garden pro will have more suggestions.
Staying on top of lawn maintenance is also vital. “Generally, keeping the soil healthy will create a more resilient lawn,” Sam says. “Unhealthy or hydrophobic lawns [where the soil begins to repel rather than absorb water] will be more vulnerable to drought. Spring and autumn care – scarifying, aeration, top dressing and so on – contribute to a healthy lawn.
“The use of organic wetting agents can reverse hydrophobia on lawns, which means water will go much further and reduce the need for artificial watering,” he adds, “though be careful, as some of these are petrochemical-based.”
Choose your grass type wisely
Flowers aren’t the only additions to consider. Even established lawns can get a remix that will result in the sort of grass that’s friendly to bugs and other garden creatures, as well as needing less water.
“Improving your existing lawn involves selective weeding to control things that take over, and then adding more of what you want,” Theo says. For the lawn in the garden above, which he worked on with Beth King of Wild Yards, a garden designer focused on planting for pollinators and the changing climate, a species-rich lawn turf was laid: “It contains 26 species and a mix of shade-tolerant grasses, including common meadow grass and slender creeping red fescue. It’s important to pick a suitable mix or turf for your environment – have a look at the species included and speak to the supplier if you have any questions,” he says.
“The challenge here is stopping the pre-existing grass from outcompeting anything new that needs light, water and nutrients to establish,” he continues. “This is done by sowing and mowing at the right times to give new plants the best chance.” Follow instructions from your supplier – or ask your garden pro to step in.
Theo also advises introducing parasitic species such as yellow rattle if you’re trying to cultivate wildflowers within a lawn. “These feed on the grass to weaken it, making it less likely to suffocate wildflowers,” he says. “It’s also attractive to insects and bees.”
Flowers aren’t the only additions to consider. Even established lawns can get a remix that will result in the sort of grass that’s friendly to bugs and other garden creatures, as well as needing less water.
“Improving your existing lawn involves selective weeding to control things that take over, and then adding more of what you want,” Theo says. For the lawn in the garden above, which he worked on with Beth King of Wild Yards, a garden designer focused on planting for pollinators and the changing climate, a species-rich lawn turf was laid: “It contains 26 species and a mix of shade-tolerant grasses, including common meadow grass and slender creeping red fescue. It’s important to pick a suitable mix or turf for your environment – have a look at the species included and speak to the supplier if you have any questions,” he says.
“The challenge here is stopping the pre-existing grass from outcompeting anything new that needs light, water and nutrients to establish,” he continues. “This is done by sowing and mowing at the right times to give new plants the best chance.” Follow instructions from your supplier – or ask your garden pro to step in.
Theo also advises introducing parasitic species such as yellow rattle if you’re trying to cultivate wildflowers within a lawn. “These feed on the grass to weaken it, making it less likely to suffocate wildflowers,” he says. “It’s also attractive to insects and bees.”
Rewild a patch
Rewilding – or letting nature take care of itself – comes up a lot in conversations about naturalistic landscaping in relation to large areas of land, but can it be done on a domestic scale?
Yes, our experts say, and suggest there are various routes you can take. “The easy way to add more interest and species to your lawn is to inject plugs of endemic wild plants,” Melanie Hick says. “Check the local meadow plants for your area, buy small plugs of these, and plant them one by one. For example, Devil’s bit scabious (Succisa pratensis), bird’s foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and betony can quickly turn a bland expanse into an area of interest for humans and bugs alike.”
It’s important to be aware that this is a very different process to simply tinkering with the lawn you have. It will generally require replacing the areas of grass you want to change. But Sam says that, if you can commit to the preparation required, you could turn an area of your lawn into a wildflower meadow.
“It requires quite intensive preparation before you can start to sow the seeds,” he says. “It’s best to rotovate the whole lawn or lift the turf completely.” Simply scarifying the surface and seeding over an existing lawn won’t work. “The seedlings will be outcompeted too quickly to establish,” he says.
“The grasses in a native wildflower mix also differ from a traditional lawn, as they’re ‘clump-forming’ and generally have more attractive seedheads,” he says, “whereas traditional lawns tend to [consist of] ‘runner’ species, which spread across the ground, hence being more appropriate for mowing.”
Sam suggests seeking out ‘flowering lawn’ seed mixtures, which contain a variety of native grasses and flowers. “These will look more attractive when left to grow tall and will be more beneficial to wildlife than leaving a regular lawn to grow,” he says.
He explains the difference between a perennial meadow and an annual one. “Sowing a perennial meadow requires quite a bit of maintenance to get started and you’ll need to remove unwanted or more aggressive weeds in the first year for a more successful meadow,” he says. “This is because the perennial mix will flower in the second year and be slower to establish than an annual meadow mix.
“Annual meadow mixes are pure flowers and will not contain grasses, but will germinate rapidly and flower in the first year,” he continues. “An annual meadow mix, however, will have to be re-seeded annually for the full effect, as the self-seeding won’t result in as impressive a display the following year.”
Rewilding – or letting nature take care of itself – comes up a lot in conversations about naturalistic landscaping in relation to large areas of land, but can it be done on a domestic scale?
Yes, our experts say, and suggest there are various routes you can take. “The easy way to add more interest and species to your lawn is to inject plugs of endemic wild plants,” Melanie Hick says. “Check the local meadow plants for your area, buy small plugs of these, and plant them one by one. For example, Devil’s bit scabious (Succisa pratensis), bird’s foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and betony can quickly turn a bland expanse into an area of interest for humans and bugs alike.”
It’s important to be aware that this is a very different process to simply tinkering with the lawn you have. It will generally require replacing the areas of grass you want to change. But Sam says that, if you can commit to the preparation required, you could turn an area of your lawn into a wildflower meadow.
“It requires quite intensive preparation before you can start to sow the seeds,” he says. “It’s best to rotovate the whole lawn or lift the turf completely.” Simply scarifying the surface and seeding over an existing lawn won’t work. “The seedlings will be outcompeted too quickly to establish,” he says.
“The grasses in a native wildflower mix also differ from a traditional lawn, as they’re ‘clump-forming’ and generally have more attractive seedheads,” he says, “whereas traditional lawns tend to [consist of] ‘runner’ species, which spread across the ground, hence being more appropriate for mowing.”
Sam suggests seeking out ‘flowering lawn’ seed mixtures, which contain a variety of native grasses and flowers. “These will look more attractive when left to grow tall and will be more beneficial to wildlife than leaving a regular lawn to grow,” he says.
He explains the difference between a perennial meadow and an annual one. “Sowing a perennial meadow requires quite a bit of maintenance to get started and you’ll need to remove unwanted or more aggressive weeds in the first year for a more successful meadow,” he says. “This is because the perennial mix will flower in the second year and be slower to establish than an annual meadow mix.
“Annual meadow mixes are pure flowers and will not contain grasses, but will germinate rapidly and flower in the first year,” he continues. “An annual meadow mix, however, will have to be re-seeded annually for the full effect, as the self-seeding won’t result in as impressive a display the following year.”
Embrace ‘untidiness’
Do you panic at the idea of the summer sun scorching your previously lush, emerald square? Adjust your mindset, Melanie advises.
“Let your lawn yellow and ‘die’,” she says. “Even as the blades yellow-off in the heat, the roots of your lawn will live through the summer and make a comeback in autumn. We could all do with getting used to what the reality of hot, dry summers looks like. It’s just not sustainable to keep every lawn looking like the green fields of lush, well-hydrated landscapes.”
Do you panic at the idea of the summer sun scorching your previously lush, emerald square? Adjust your mindset, Melanie advises.
“Let your lawn yellow and ‘die’,” she says. “Even as the blades yellow-off in the heat, the roots of your lawn will live through the summer and make a comeback in autumn. We could all do with getting used to what the reality of hot, dry summers looks like. It’s just not sustainable to keep every lawn looking like the green fields of lush, well-hydrated landscapes.”
Have less lawn
Another approach for minimising the impact of high-maintenance grass is simply to have less of it.
“Reduce the area of your lawn to increase biodiversity,” Melanie suggests. “By limiting the space you allocate to lawn and increasing your borders, you could gain more planting, and therefore more beauty and interest.”
Tell us…
What kind of lawn do you have – and has reading this inspired you to change it in any way? Let us know in the Comments.
Another approach for minimising the impact of high-maintenance grass is simply to have less of it.
“Reduce the area of your lawn to increase biodiversity,” Melanie suggests. “By limiting the space you allocate to lawn and increasing your borders, you could gain more planting, and therefore more beauty and interest.”
Tell us…
What kind of lawn do you have – and has reading this inspired you to change it in any way? Let us know in the Comments.
Awareness around ‘No Mow May’ has put the idea of longer grass into the public consciousness – but don’t confine the idea to just one month.
“This is something anyone can do,” says Theo, who designs and builds naturalistic, low-impact gardens. “Just leave your lawn for a while and see what happens. Long grass will appear, which adds height and movement to your once static lawn. Flowers will bloom that you didn’t know were there, and all of this will provide habitat and food for wildlife.”
Does Theo have tips for making it look good, too, rather than neglected? “It’s important to stay on top of occasional weeding,” he says. “For example, dandelions are fantastic wildflowers – bees love them, and the flowers, leaves and roots all have value from a foraging perspective – but if left for too long, they can self-sow like crazy and take over a lawn. So I will weed out some and leave some until I’m left with a balance I’m happy with.”