There are three main blends of grass seeds that will cover your requirements for looks and usability. They are readily available as grass seed but you may only find two available as turf. If your lawn has to cope with dry or shady conditions see the next post.

The Family, Utility or Play Lawn

Usually a predominantly rye grass seed or turf mixture for utility areas, play lawns, high use areas and for people who want their lawn care ‘as easy as possible’. See Lawnsmith® EASYGREEN.

Ups

• Apart from mowing and feeding this has few demands
• Extremely tolerant of use and abuse from kids, dogs and summer BBQ parties!
• It’s the quickest to establish and easiest to repair
• Not the finest of leaf but has a lovely dark green colour and stripes up a treat if you’re using a mower with a roller

Downs

Will stand up to the British summer just fine but if your soil or location is very dry and you still want an ‘easy’ lawn then a mixture with Rhizomatous Tall Fescue such as Lawnsmith® STAYGREEN would be better. Rye grass doesn’t like salt or extreme wet either so once again try a mixture with Tall Fescue – see the Drought Tolerant Lawn on the next page for both situations.

Summary

For a no fuss, easy repair, hard wearing good looking lawn this is it!

The Gardeners or Landscapers Lawn

This lawn ticks all the right boxes from beauty to useability. So, if you enjoy the garden and don’t mind a little effort in the lawn care department this mixture will satisfy the proudest gardener. See Lawnsmith® CLASSIC Grass Seed

Ups

• Usually a mixture of 5 or 6 grasses enabling good growth in most conditions
• If you don’t mind a little dwarf rye grass (I love it) as part of the mixture then this makes it a fantastic looking lawn
• Modest demands. Apart from mowing and at least one feed it will only need raking or scarifying perhaps once in every 2 to 3 years
• Similar to mixtures sold as Canada Green Grass Seed but more suited to the UK climate.
• A strong lawn that will handle regular use and recover well

Downs

Apart from not being a ‘very fine’ leaved lawn there isn’t one – it’s that good!

Summary

If you want a beautiful looking, medium fine lawn allowing regular use without the demands of a ‘bowling green’ this is it.

The ‘Enthusiasts’ Lawn

This is generally sold as ‘luxury grass seed’ or ‘luxury garden turf’ leading you to believe you’re buying a quality seed or turf for a superior lawn. Unfortunately it has nothing to do with quality but refers purely and simply to the type of grass which, in this case, would be ‘fescues’, the fine bristle like grasses that are used extensively as bowling and golf course grass seed. See Lawnsmith® ORNAMENTAL Grass Seed.

It makes a cracking good lawn but………

Ups

• Fine bristle grasses for that close mown appeal
• In the right hands can look magnificent
• For the enthusiast whose hobby is the lawn

Downs

• Though this grass grows slowly it is a heavy maintenance lawn
• Needs scarifying at least once a year and monthly aeration if used
• Best mown every few days with a cylinder mowing
• Will show up any lapse in care
• Can suffer on clay or alkaline soils
• Will not tolerate high use on loam or clay soils
• Requires constant hand picking of invading ‘weed’ grasses to maintain looks
• Feed little and often. This means seasonal feeding at the lower end of the recommended fertiliser application rate

Summary

If you have the time, money, machinery and dedication there isn’t anything better.