Small garden

[ruthandsam]

I've just got rid of our big, petrol lawnmower because basically we've moved house and the new garden is tiny. It took more time to get it out of the shed than mow the lawn!

Do I replace the grass with slabs, buy a hand mower or small electric mower? I just can't make up my mind. We've a 4 year old so I guess keeping the grass would be better but we've also go a shed, small greenhouse as well. I want to make best use of the area that we do have without it looking like a back yard.

Many thanks for your points of view.

[shaking]

Grass always looks nice in a garden however small, I would keep the lawn and buy a lightweight electric mower. Also if it rains hard you could end up with flooding if paved and nowhere for the rain to drain away.

[Quassia]

Hi, I'm guessing with a 4 year old you're kept pretty busy! Personally I would pave it over ... there's some very lovely paving out there that you can make a feature out of. You can always have some large pots with flowers in too .

[Maydup]

I'd keep the grass especially with a little one. Slabs are harsh on the eye and on the knees!

Buy a cheap little electric mower and look forward to picnics, camping, balls games, insect hunts and all the things you can't do on a paved area.

[ruthandsam]

Thanks shaking. I always think a lawn looks better no matter how small. A neighbour one side has a small electric mower and the other side they have a push hand mower, both gardens look great. We do have a problem with drainage at the moment anyway so by putting paving slabs down we maybe compounding the problem.

Thanks for your advice.

[craft1948]

I've just spent a fortune having paving slabs taken up and a new lawn laid....it looked like a backyard before.

[Maydup]

Problem solved - borrow the neighbours mower!

[barb1314]

Our garden is tiny and is Yorkstone Flagged with a border on either side edged with old railway sleepers (lovely pink blossom tree,clematis and honeysuckle grown up trellis) I have lots of old terracota pots and grow herbs,lavender and other perennials. The far end has a drystone wall with rockery plants and ivy. I love it and as we have a dog,grass would be ruined. I just find it easier to look after and just jet wash twice a year.I would imagine a little one would prefer grass though,having said all that!!

[modeller]

Grass every time . You cant roll , jump and run around without danger on slabs. Just the smell, coolness and feel of grass beats hot dry slabs that can't be walked on in bare feet. Have you tried putting up a tent or a little trampoline on slabs ?

[AlBags]

Keep the concrete out!

Al.

[Jules001]

With a little one around, I would say keep the grass, however just to throw in another option, yesterday I saw some fake grass in a garden centre, it was expensive £30 a square metre, but it looked really realistic even had little flecks of brown grass in. No need for mowing, softness for little one, but no nice smell of grass being mown :(