Wild lawn – 7 ways to radically transform your lawn

Many take a certain pride in the sight of their perfectly manicured lawn, but Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don is calling for an end to the tidy lawn “obsession”.

The 65-year-old told Radio Times magazine that “cutting grass burns lots of fossil fuel, makes a filthy noise and is about the most injurious thing you can do to wildlife.” Meanwhile, letting grass grow, he said, “is probably the single most effective thing you can do in any garden of any size, to encourage particularly insect life, but also small mammals, invertebrates, reptiles.”

So, if your velvety lawn is starting to give you pangs of eco-guilt, here are a few ideas for transforming it into a wild, environmental retreat that you and the wildlife will appreciate…

How to create a wild lawn

1. Dig a pond

The frogs, newts, birds and insects will thank you. While being mindful of unsupervised children and pets, replacing your bowling green in favour of a pond is pretty much guaranteed to bring all manner of creatures to your yard. And watching a water feature is considerably more peaceful than hauling the mower out of the shed.

2. Sow a wildflower meadow

For our pollinators, a wildflower meadow can provide an absolute buffet of nectar, while also taking the blank green of a lawn and giving you height, colour and a range of architectural plants in its stead. Try wildflower mixes and native species like ox-eye daisies, snake’s head fritillary and yellow rattle.

3. Fill your lawn with bulbs

You don’t have to obliterate your lawn entirely, but you could break it up a little with bulbs that’ll poke their heads up every spring, like daffodils, crocuses and snowdrops.

4. Create a grass maze

Not quite ready to give up your mower entirely? Put that penchant for tidying to a different use by letting your lawn grow wild and to a good height, before cutting sections of it to create a maze. It’ll entertain the kids, support wildlife, and satisfy that need to continue lawn maintenance.

5. Turn your grass into a veg bed

How much use does your lawn actually get? If your dreams of using it as a badminton court or football pitch are realised only occasionally, but growing fruit or veg is something you could see bringing you joy all year round, it might be time to rip up the turf. Buy some strawberry plants and start sowing your own cucumbers instead.

6. Introduce woodland plants

When you walk through woodland, scraps of grass intermingle with moss and bluebells, shrubs and tussocks, rocky patches and wildlife hotels (aka fallen logs). It won’t feature straight lines and sharp borders, but taking your lawn and acquainting it with woodland flora might just make your garden more compelling – for you and its non-human visitors.

7. Plant an orchard

If you’re lucky enough to have a sizeable garden, there’s no mandate saying you have to treat it like all the neighbours have theirs. Go wild. Plant an apricot or a fig; create a citrus or olive grove; invest in rare apple varieties; start off an oak tree. Use your grass as a starting point and grow upwards – make your own canopy.

Best-selling wild meadow seeds

Stuck for inspiration? Check out our list of best-selling Amazon products!

No products found.

You may be interested in…

• Monty Don on encouraging wildlife in your garden
• How to grow an apple tree with top tips from Monty Don
• Summer lawn tips – how to keep your lawn green in summer
• How to sow a mini meadow in your garden
• 7 tips to tidy your garden in autumn

This article may include affiliate links to products and services where we may receive a small fee to support the running of this site if you make a purchase or is a sponsored article from one of our select editorial partners providing valuable advice and information to our readers.