ALTERNATIVES TO GRASS LAWNS

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Lawns are popular because they provide a green cover that is hard wearing, ascetically pleasing, and suitable for both  walking over and playing on. There are many different species of grass seed and each has its own characteristics that can suit most garden conditions.  But if you don’t want a grass lawn but still want to use plants - what are the alternatives?

Grass is low growing and has lateral shoots which makes the sward thick.  Because the root zone can produce grass shoots at such a low height, it can be mowed frequently without detrimental effect.  Cricket wickets successfully rely on the root zone of the grass to hold the soil together because the grass blade is mown so short.

Plants that mimic this low growing, prostrate habit work well as alternatives to grass.  They include herbs such as chamomile, pearlwort and thyme; ground cover plants and some plants traditionally considered lawn weeds.

The advantage of using alternatives to grass is that they can grow in areas that would be difficult to mow. However, often these plants are not as hard wearing as grass and so not suitable for playing sports on or high use areas.

Herbs

Camomile lawns were popular in the formal gardens of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and have rosettes of fine, scented leaves which are tolerant of some walking or sitting on. Not only are the cool to the foot, they release a gorgoes, relaxing perfume as you walk over it. Use the non flowering variety, Anthemis nobile 'Treneague'.  As they are non-flowering, the plants will not produce seed. This means that a new lawn will have to be planted from rosettes.

Thyme lawn

Thyme lawns make fine leaved green mats but are not tolerant of pedestrian traffic so are best admired from afar.  Varieties used include creeping thymes such as Thymus drucei and Thymus serphyllum. They provide a scent and flower in summer. There are many different varieties that can be interwoven across your lawn to stunning effect.


Creeping mint, Mentha requienii, is good for shady areas.

Ground cover planting

The advantage of using ground cover plants is that they can be planted on steep banks or areas inaccessible to mowers.  Ajuga reptans, Vinca minor, Pachysandra terminalis or hedra helix are all low growing ground cover plants that will provide excellent cover in shady areas.  Achillea tomentosa and Acaena microphylla are great for sunny areas.


Lawn weeds

Moss can provide excellent ground cover and thrives in shady and damp areas. Keep weed free and water in dry spells.

Clover lawn

Clover was once considered a lawn weed but can be suitable to provide a green carpet.  It tolerates poor soil and has nitrogen fixing properties that improves the soil quality. Having long roots it is more drought tolerant that some other lawn plants and so retains its green appearance during dry weather.

Sagina pilifera, pearlwort, provides  a spongy carpet with white flowers. It should be planted in well drained soil in partial shade. Better suited to small areas of lawn.

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Using pedestrian mowers

HOW DO YOU PROPAGATE SEEDLESS FRUITS?

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Seedless fruits have been cultivated for many years as there is a demand for fruit without those pesky seeds.  Cross breeding of different varieties and genetic sports have meant that a wide range of seedless varieties of fruit are available.  These include banana, cucumbers, grapes, lemons, limes, melon, oranges and pineapple. So how do fruits that do not contain seeds propagate?

Traditionally, plants produce seed in order to reproduce.  Seedless varieties of fruit are produced when normal fertilisation of plants does not occur. Some plants produce fruit without fertilisation in a process called pathenocarpy, translated literally as virgin fruit. This means that fruit is produced without the fertilisation of ovules and therefore the fruit is seedless. Other 'seedless' fruit may be produced after pollination occurs in a process called stenospermocarpy, where the ovules or embryos abort before they can produce mature seed.  Small seeds are produced in this case, but are immature and lack a hard seed coating.

Naturally occurring mutations, genetic selection and manipulation has led to an increased variety of seedless fruit being produced as there is a high commercial demand for these fruits. Botanists and scientists hunt out valuable seedlings that may have a commercial value, looking for disease resistance, taste quality and plants that are easy to grow. Plant hormones can stimulate plants to produce seedless fruit.  Auxins, gibberellins and cytokins will stimulate flowers to produce sterile fruit. These can be naturally occurring or artificially applied.

Without the aid of seeded fruit to reproduce, plants can be propagated through vegative cuttings, grafts and tissue cultures.  This creates a cloned replica of the parent plant. However, having cloned plants results in a reduced genetic diversity of species which may have a detrimental effect in the future. 

Seedless watermelon are grown from seed and are a result of hybridisation of two different types of melon.  A seedless fruit arises from fertilisation between a diploid parent (2 sets of chromosomes) and triploid parent (3 sets of chromosomes).  The fruit is sterile (without seed) because meiosis is prevented. In order to produce a fruit, pollen from the diploid parent plant must fertilise the flower of the triploid parent plant.  Therefore both varieties of watermelon must flower at the same time.

Seedless bananas can produce fruit without fertilisation and are produced on triploid parents. Most commercially grown bananas are a single clone of the Cavendish cultivar. Bananas propagate from suckers around the base of a parent plant. Tissue culture is used to propagate these plants on a commercial scale. 

Seedless grapes do contain small, immature seeds.  Most grapes are propagated through vine cuttings, which root and form new (identical) plants.  Alternatively, embryo rescue tissue culture may be used where these young seeds are grown on to produce a mature plant.

Pineapples are grown commercially in fields of a single variety as this means there is no cross pollination, which is required to produce seed.  If cross pollination does occur between two varieties then the fruit will contain seed.  The pineapple propagates from the leafy top part of the fruit.

Some guava cultivars has naturally occurring sterile fruit. Persimmon fruit has separate male and female individuals.  If the female plant is not near the male plant and cannot be pollinated a seedless fruit may be produced. The seedless naval orange was discovered in the 19th century and all grafts date back to a single mutant tree in Brazil.  Cuttings from this parent plant are grafted on to citrus rootstocks.

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Why don't seedless grapes have seeds?

RECIPE FOR ITALIAN PIZZA

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This pizza is quick and simple to make.  You can use any alternative toppings to your pizza that you like or substitute the mozzarella cheese for halloumi cheese.

Ingredients

Pizza base: 8 oz strong white flour
1 teaspoon dried yeast
1/2 teaspoon slat
125 ml warm water

Pizza sauce:
1 can chopped plum tomatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
5 mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon chopped marjoram
Pepper to taste

Pizza topping:

1/2 onion
Roasted chicken
Chorizo
1 ball mozzarella cheese
5 peppadew peppers, sliced
5 mushrooms

Method

To make the tomato sauce gently fry the onion in a saucepan for 5 minutes until softened.  Add the chopped tomatoes, herbs, garlic, mushrooms and cook on a gently heat for 30 minutes until the sauce thickens into a paste.

To make the base place the flour, yeast and slat into a bowl and make a well in the centre.  Slowly add in the warm water and mix together. Place the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface and knead the mixture to form a smooth dough.

Stretch the dough using your knuckles to form a pizza base and place onto a 12" pizza tray.  Allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place your tomato sauce over the pizza base and add the chicken, chorizo, peppers, onions, mushroom and mozzarella cheese on top.  Place in the oven for 12 minutes until cooked thoroughly and the base is crispy.

Yummy. 

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PATHS - BRICK PAVING

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Paving can look really smart around a property and help to successfully utilise the the outdoor space.  Brick pavers are often used to create pathways and driveways around a property, and this can look great if done successfully.  However, give some thought to creating beds and features in the paving to avoid a bland mass of paving.

The advantage of brick paving is that they can unify the garden with any brick structure surrounding it such as buildings or walls.  Bricks used fro paving need to be frost proof.  Hard, dense bricks will reduce water absorption within the brick and therefore not crumble when a frost occurs.  Concrete brick pavers work well, as do engineering bricks.  The bricks can be arranged to form different patterns such as herringbone, basket weave, stretcher bond or running bond.

When laying a path you need to ensure you have a sufficient base onto which to lay the surface.  Brick paths require a bed of compacted hardcore to a depth of  7.5 cm.  Once you have marked out your path, dig out the soil to a depth which will to accommodate both your hardcore and brick.  Ensure your path is level in order to allow rain water to run off the surface. You will need to allow a fall in gradient of 1:60 so set one edge slightly lower than the other.

Use timber that is 5 cm thick to create wooden edging into which to lay your path.  This will help prevent the bricks creeping sideways and provide a level to which the height of the bricks will be set. The depth of the timber should match the depth of the brick.  Drive square wooden pegs into the ground and secure the wooden boards to the inside of the pegs to make a wooden frame.  Ensure your wooden panels are level by checking levels with a spirit level.

Screed with a semi-dry 1:4 layer of mortar across the width of the path and lay the bricks onto this, leaving them slightly proud to a height of 1 cm above the edging board.  Place an edging board across the path and tap the bricks into place until they are flush with edging. Brush the joints with a dry 1:4 mortar mix.

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WHY DON'T SEEDLESS GRAPES HAVE SEEDS?

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Why don’t seedless grapes have seeds?  How do they reproduce if there are no seeds present? Even the term 'seedless fruit' is misleading as a fruit is defined as a swollen ovary of a plant that contains seeds.

Although plants traditionally produce seed in order to reproduce there are some notable exceptions to this rule.  Seedless varieties of fruit are produced when normal fertilisation of plants does not occur. Some plants produce fruit without fertilisation in a process called pathenocarpy, translated literally as virgin fruit. This means that fruit is produced without the fertilisation of ovules and therefore the fruit is seedless. Other 'seedless' fruit may be produced after pollination occurs in a process called stenospermocarpy, where the ovules or embryos abort before they can produce mature seed.  Small seeds are produced in this case, but are immature and lack a hard seed coating.

'Seedless' grapes are a result of stenospemocary and contain small, immature seeds.  The flowers are pollinated but the seeds inside the ovule do not develop to maturity and stop developing at an early stage.

Naturally occurring mutations, genetic selection and manipulation has led to an increased variety of seedless grapes being produced as there is a high commercial demand for these fruits. Botanists and scientists hunt out valuable seedlings that may have a commercial value, looking for disease resistance, taste quality and plants that are easy to grow.

As there is no viable seed to plant most grapes are propagated through vine cuttings, which are grafted onto root stock to form new (identical) plants.  Alternatively, embryo rescue tissue culture may be used where these young seeds are grown on to produce a mature plant. This creates a cloned replica of the parent plant.


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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PEACH AND AN NECTERINE?

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Peaches and nectarines are very similar fruits, both in season mid to late summer.  They are classed as stone fruits and both have a rich flavour and a heavy scent. So can the difference between them really be as simple as that a peach has a fuzzy skin and a nectarine does not?

Yes. The difference between peach and a nectarine is actually very small. It was noted by early botanists that nectarine sometimes grew on peach trees and peaches sometimes grew on nectarine trees.  This was the result of cross pollution between trees.

It is down to the presence of one recessive gene, the nectarine 'g' gene, that determines if the skin will be fuzzy or not. If both parent trees possess this gene then the fruit will always be a nectarine. If no 'g' gene is present or only one parent has this gene then a peach will be the resulting fruit.  In all other ways a peach and a nectarine are identical. The variety of fruit has a stronger bearing on differences in taste and texture then whether the fruit is a peach or nectarine.


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RECIPE FOR SPINACH AND BROCCOLI FRITTATA

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This is a quick and easy vegetarian dish that is surprisingly filling and can serve either two people as a main meal or four people if accompanied with vegetables. 

Ingredients
1/2 lb salad potatoes
2 small onions
1/2 pack fresh spinach
1/2 lb broccoli florets
150 g mature cheddar cheese
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tea spoon chopped Marjoram
1 tea spoon chopped thyme

Method
Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes until soft. Cut into thick slices.
Place the broccoli in a pan of boiling water for 5 minutes to soften.
Dice the onions and fry gently for 5 minutes.

Place some oil into a deep frying pan and place on a medium heat. Beat together the eggs, adding the garlic, thyme, marjoram and half the cheese.

Place the broccoli, onions and potatoes into the pan.  Add the egg mixture and spinach. Stir for approximately 5 minutes until the mixture thickens then place the remaining cheese on top of the frittata. Leave on a medium heat for 10 minutes or until the bottom has set. 

Place the frittata under the grill for 5 minutes until the top is solid and the egg is cooked through.  Serve as a main dish or with baby potatoes.   


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RECIPE FOR BLACKCURRANT CHEESECAKE

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This rich and creamy cheesecake is ideal for all your cheese lovers out there.  It is one of my favourites.

Ingredients

15 digestive biscuits
50 g butter
250g mascarpone cheese
200g cream cheese
100 ml double cream
3 oz caster sugar
Blackcurrant pie filling

Method
Crush the digestive biscuits to form fine crumbs. Melt the butter and add to the biscuit crumbs.  Place the mixture into a cake tin and push down firmly with the back of a spoon.  Place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Place the mascarpone cheese, cream cheese and sugar into a bowl and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.  Place the double cream into a bowl and whip until it thickens then mix the cream into the cheesecake mix.

Pour the cheesecake mix onto the base and place in fridge for at least 4 hours to set, ideally leave overnight.

Pour blackcurrant filling over the top of the cheesecake.  Serve with double cream.

Photos care of http://www.englishcheesecake.com/ and http://www.glutafin.co.uk/

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MANURING

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Manuring is the addition of organic matter in your soil. Manuring will improve the crumb structure of your soil and increase the water and nutrient capacity. Organic matter can include animal manure, plant material and compost.

If you are working a crop rotation system in your bed then you should incorporate manure into beds that arent used for root or brassica crops. There are many different types of manure available, with each will bring different advantages to your plot.  I always find it advantagous to change the type of manure used after a year or so to add something new to the soil.

Types of manure
Farm yard manure is the bedding of farm animals and contains faeces, urine and straw. This includes manure from cattle, chicken, horses, pigs, rabbits, sheep. In addition, manure is made from human sewage, and guano is produced from the faeces of sea bird and bats. 

Green manures are plant materials that can be grown to increase fertility and organic matter in the soil when they are ploughed back into it.  These include clover, which fixes nitrogen int the soil using specialised root nodes, and other Legumes. Other plant materials used as manure include seaweed, and hops from the brewing industry.

Compost is decomposed organic material such as plant material and paper, and includes compost from your compost heap, leaf mould and mushroom compost.

Application of Manure
During autumn or early winter spread organic matter over the surface of your bed at a rate of one barrow load over ten sq. metres. Fork the organic matter into the bed during the following month.

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RECIPE FOR ENGLISH APPLE PIE

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Apple pie is always a favourite of mine, especially when made with English apples and served with vanilla ice cream. Bramley apples are in season from September onwards.

Ingredients

Pie filling
4 bramley apples
75 ml water
3 oz caster sugar
1 tea spoon cinnamon

 Pie
Short crust pastry (either pre-rolled or made from 10 oz/250g  plain flour, 50 oz/140 g butter, 3 tablespoon water, 1 egg and a pinch salt).
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons caster sugar

Method
Peel and core the apples. Cut them up into medium sized (2"/5 cm) chunks. Place into a saucepan and add the water and sugar. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes until the apples soften, stirring gently. Add the cinnamon and allow to cool.

Divide the pastry into two. Roll out the first piece of pastry and line a 10" pie dish. Transfer the apple filling into the pie dish. Roll out the second piece of pastry and place over the top of the pie dish.  Press firmly around the edges to join the seam and trim, placing a hole in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape.   Glaze with the egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Cook in an oven set to 200C/400F for 40 minutes or until the pie is golden brown.

Serve with vanilla ice-cream.

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LAWN GRASSES

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Grasses are successful as lawns as they form a dense evergreen sward and can withstand regular mowing and some degree of drought. There are many different types of lawn grasses which can be used in combination to find a perfect grass surface for your needs.


The success of your lawn will depend on selecting the right type of grass variety for the use and maintenance of your lawn, as well as the drainage, soil type and aspect of your plot.  So whether you wish for a perfect croquet lawn, a football pitch or a wildflower meadow then grass seed mixtures are available to suit your requirements.

Chewings fescue

The following grass seeds are found in common lawn mixtures:
Festuca rubra commutata - Chewings fescue

Festuca rubra rubra - creeping red fescue

Festuca longifolia - hard fescue

Agrostsis tenuis - Browntop bent

Lolium perenne - perennial ryegrass 

Poa pratensis - smooth stalked meadow grass.

Poa trivialis - rough stalked meadow grass

Poa nemoralis - Wood meadow grass

Cynosurus cristatus - Crested dogstail

Phleum pratense bertolonii - smaller catstail

High profile lawns
80% chewings fescue (Festuca rubra commutata)
20% browntop bent (Agrostis tenuis)
High profile lawns are best suited for areas of low pedestrian traffic with little or no wear.  This grass blade is fine and is  best kept closely mown to a height of 5-10mm. This type of lawn best suits a well drained full sun position.


Croquet lawns
40% chewings fescue
40% creeping red fescue
20% browntop bent
This lawn will tolerate occassional wear and should be mown to a height of 10-15mm.  Red fescue is tougher than other two species but does not like a low mowing height.

Perennial ryegrass

Amenity lawn

50% creeping red fescue

10% browntop bent

40% perennial ryegrass

This is a good general purpose lawn that will is suitable for most uses, including children's games and medium pedestrian traffic.  The introduction of rye grass in this mixture makes the sward coarser and tougher. This means the lawn needs to be cut more often in spring and summer but will also withstand being unmown for a period of time.

Hard wearing lawn
20% creeping red fescue
80% perennial ryegrass
This lawn mixture produces a hard wearing sward that can be cut on a regular basis. The predominate ryegrass is a thicker, tougher grass variety that will withstand high levels of pedestrian use. It is particularly suitable for use on football pitches or high traffic areas.


Shady lawn
40% creeping red fescue
10% brown top bent
30% meadow grass
No lawn can grow completely in the shade. However, partial shady areas can be successfully under planted with a lawn.

Smooth stalked meadow grass

Low maintenance lawns
15% brown top bent
55% creeping red fescue
15% hard fescue
15% smooth stalked meadow grass
Dwarf growing turf varieties are ideal on banks or areas where mowing is difficult or you wish to cut less frequently. This lawn will not tolerate a low cutting height so ensure a minimum height of 20 mm.

Wildflower meadow
80% grass seed:
35% Hard fescue
20% Crested Dogs tail
20% Fine fescue
10% Smooth stalked meadow grass
10% Smaller cats tail
5% Brown top bent
20% wildflower seed:

Ox-eye Daisy leucanthemum vulgare, Agrimony agrimonia eupatoria, Birdsfoot trefoil lotus corniculatus, Bulbous Buttercup ranuncaulus bulbosus, Corn Chamomile Anthemis arvensis, Corn Cockle Agrostemma githago, Corn Marigold Chrysanthemum segetum, Common Knapweed centaurea nigra, Common Sorrel rumex acetosa, Cornflower Centaurea cyanus, Cowslip primula veris, Field Poppy Papaver rhoeas, Field Scabious knautia arvensis, Greater Knapweed centaurea scabiosa,Hay Rattle rhinanthus minor, Ladies Bedstraw galium verum, Meadow Buttercup ranunculus acris, Meadow Cranesbill garanium pratense, Musk Mallow malva moschata, Ribwort Plantain plantago lanceolata, Self Heal Prunella vugaris, White Campion silene alba, Yarrow achillea millefolium

This mixture consists of 80% meadow grass seeds and 20% meadow plant seeds.  When creating a wildflower lawn it is best to spray the whole area off to be seeded and use this mixture rather than trying to establish wildflowers in an existing lawn.

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