There are few gardeners who aren't impressed by a perfect billiard-board lawn – create an immaculate example with the help of our guide

Despite the endless work that can go into creating a lawn, from mowing to scarifying, spiking and leaf raking, they continue to be a popular part of both our public parks and our personal gardens. The English lawn as we know it came about after the first lawnmower was invented in the 19th century as a spin-off from the textile-manufacturing industry. Today lawns are part of our garden heritage, from the immaculate formal lawn that requires hours of care to the more casual contemporary version, often allowed to grow long and lush and deliberately filled with meadow flowers.

PLANTING A LAWN
Whether you are starting from scratch or renovating an existing lawn, it is important to consider its use, the site and soil, and how much maintenance you wish to undertake. In the country, it is often possible to create a lawn simply by mowing and weeding a meadow until the grasses and plants are short enough to be called a lawn. This can work well when wilder areas of garden merge with the landscape beyond. If this isn't possible, then create a new lawn either from seed, or by laying rolls of turf.

TYPES OF GRASS SEED
There are many different kinds of seed, with special uses for particular requirements:
• Special seed for shady situations.
• Fine-leaved luxury lawn grass makes a close turf with less opportunity for weeds to establish.
• Seed for tough sites such as family lawns. Hard-wearing, but won't have a fine carpet look.
• General-purpose lawn seed, usually a mixture of fine and more robust grass seeds.
• Meadow grass seed containing a mix of native grass and wild-flower seeds.

WHERE TO BUY GRASS SEED
• British Wildflower Plants, (01603) 716615. Flower plugs for wild-flower meadows.
• DLF-Perryfields, (01386) 793135. Ecosward (a new clover lawn).
• Johnsons, (01386) 791113. Good seed range.
• Suffolk Herbs, (01376) 572456. Wild-flower seed and mixes.
• British Field Products, (01842) 828266. Sedum matting, not suitable for walking on but perfect for slopes and roofs.
• Large garden centres or local growers supply turf.

A CALENDAR OF LAWN TASKS
The more hard work and attention you give your lawn, the better the grass will be

SEPTEMBER Feed your grass with a special autumn lawn fertiliser that is low in nitrogen.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER This is the time to scarify the lawn using a spring-tine rake or a special mechanical scarifier, which can be hired by the day to rake out the thatch. The process can also be done in springtime. Spike systematically and deeply across the whole lawn to counter compaction and bad drainage. Fill the holes with a sandy soil mix to help aerate and drain the ground.

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER Repair any bare patches on your lawn with pieces of turf and get the mower serviced in preparation for next year's efforts.

DECEMBER-FEBRUARY Keep off the grass if it is frosted or the weather is very wet, to protect it from damage.

MARCH Repair or re-cut the edges of your lawn. Prepare the soil if you are sowing new grass seed the following month.

MARCH, APRIL, MAY OR SEPTEMBER Make new lawns with turf.

MARCH-JUNE Remove any weeds from your lawn. Only use chemical weedkillers if you absolutely have to, or if you want nothing but grass in the lawn. Otherwise, use an old-fashioned daisy grubber and dig the weeds out individually, or alternatively grow to love daisies, buttercups and clover.

APRIL, MAY OR SEPTEMBER During a period of good weather, sow grass seed to make new lawns. Choose a variety that is appropriate for the type of lawn you have in mind and mark out the land with trails of sand into square metres to follow the instructions on sowing density.

APRIL Feed established lawns.

APRIL-JULY Mow your lawn often now – at least once a week – but never cut the grass too short in case there is a drought.

MAY Roll newly sown grass once it reaches 2·5 cm in height

JUNE-JULY Give grass a summer boost with a dose of liquid fertiliser. Keep edges clipped regularly for a really neat effect.

JULY Don't water unless it is absolutely necessary. If you need to, give the lawn a soaking once a week, rather than small amounts of water occasionally. Remember that brown grass always recovers eventually.

JULY-SEPTEMBER From July onwards, mow the grass less frequently, and ease up in very dry weather.

AUGUST You can leave grass clippings as a mulch on grass in dry weather. Cut long meadow grass once any wild flowers have seeded and clear away the cuttings.

WORDS JANE NEWDICK
PHOTOGRAPHS JERRY HARPUR AND ANDREW LAWSON
SEPTEMBER 2004