Lawn order Adopt a

DAVE ALLAN

IT’S time for my annual rant on lawns. They shouldn’t be green swards dosed with chemicals sometimes applied by firms with thumbs as green as the monotonous patches they produce. This type of lawn became highly fashionable for Victorians. They took to an exciting new toy that began replacing the traditional scythe. By the turn of the 20th century, a new “middle class” was emerging that used whatever tools they could to show they were a cut above the lower orders.

They could, after all, afford an expensive “Gripper” lawnmower costing a full 10/6 (52p). Photos of the family carefully assembled round a mower were proudly displayed and adverts of the time showed finely attired ladies with trendy bonnets effortlessly pushing these gleaming gadgets.

But, like most gardening trends, every fad has its day and people are beginning to value a living garden, crammed with interest and diversity. The lawn can, and should, play its part. To be clear, I’m talking about fairly closely mown lawns, not wildflower meadows or patches of longer grass containing low-growing flowers. Attractive as they are, many of us want a neater lawn.

When properly maintained, a lawn should be a valuable wildlife habitat. Many birds, such as starlings and pied wagtails, are attracted to closely mown grass where they can safely feed on invertebrates, including unwelcome leatherjackets.

And blackbirds will happily clear away some molluscs grazing on any thatch in the grass. Blackbirds also feast on some of the worms that should be abundant in our lawn as long as we don’t use synthetic lawn treatments, especially moss killer. These products acidify the soil, thereby drastically reducing the worm population. Since only three of our 27 worm species produce casts on lawns, why kill the lot when a rake quickly disperses any offending little lumps?

Although you’ll find invertebrates with a poor reputation such as aphids and millipedes, beneficial beetles, spiders and centipedes are there in force, so take the bad with the

During dry spells, the lawnmower’s cutting blades should be raised an extra couple of centimetres to help retain moisture – and there is no need to ruthlessly hunt down every daisy or piece of flowering clover