Gravel garden wtf??

[SistemaAddict]

I have 3 dc of playing-in-the-garden age. Youngest is 5 We rent our house and have lived here most of their lives. The LL has decided to re-do the garden as it is in a terrible state of repair and dangerous. In gravel/stones. The entire garden. Please tell me this won't be as shit as I think it will. It's as not a big garden- about 25' square ish.

[bitheby]

How will they play football etc? Sounds like more of a grown up garden than a family garden tbh.

[Mychitchatdays]

They will scattered the gravel everywhere. Terrible idea.

[Terrace58]

I would be worried about that. Perhaps ask to talk to the landlord about options. If you want something like grass, are you willing to become responsible for proper maintenance, weeding, fertilizing, etc?

[Viviennemary]

It's a mad idea. But how did the garden get into such a state. Could you have a discussion and ask for an easy maintained garden but with s bit of lawn.

[SistemaAddict]

It's entirely fenced or bricked in by the house and garage so it's going to look very, I don't even know the word, shit. Surely it will end up uneven and the garden furniture won't sit safely. All one colour too.

[Catycity]

I guess that's a cheaper option for the LL. Not a defence, but an explanation. Garden landscaping can run into the thousands. Gravel is a cheap and neat alternative, albeit not great with DC.

[SistemaAddict]

It is decked and has been maintained by me but has been rotting for years. I think it's 3 years since I first reported the rotting and it now has holes in it in places, is springy and slippery as ice. I've not been able to clean it properly for fear of it disintegrating more.

We asked for a lawn

[lechatnoir]

If you've lived there 5+ years and the garden is in a terrible state of repair, it's surely you and your family that let it get to that point and/or did the damage so I don't blame the landlord doing something that can't be ruined and requires zero maintance.

[lechatnoir]

Ah apologies cross post with yours so I take it back. old decking not much you could do and in that case I don't blame you for being pissed off but can still see the landlord thinking - 3 young kids, small patch of lawn = mud pit although not sure gravel is the answer!

[sunshinesupermum]

Ask him to lay astro turf - it will be much cheaper than maintaining a lawn and easier for the children to play on the gravel. Quite agree that such small space with gravel will look horrid as well as being impractical for family use.

[D00MGL00M]

If you offered to pay the extra yourself would the landlord be willing to consider a more family type style?

My rented home is partly furnished and as things have have needed replacing he gets his quote for say a bog standard basic carpet and will then let me arrange whatever flooring I want and refunds me the amount the basic thing he'd have provided towards the cost. Same with white goods too.

[Whatthebloodyell]

What is currently under the decking? Can you just ask your landlord to remove tree decking and then you try to repair what’s underneath?

[StitchInTimeSavesNine]

Try to find out what's under the decking. It would be much cheaper to turf it than cover the whole thing with gravel so I'd be pulling out all the stops to make sure that doesn't happen,

[OrtamLeevz]

Gravel can sometimes act as a magnet for cats using it as a litter tray. That won't be much fun.

[mumwon]

I can tell you that astro turf is far more expensive than pebbles & it needs to be cleaned properly & you cant use bbq - its the underlay & worksurface underneath! - I looked into it for my own garden - I actually landed up with a patio & pebbles (more durable) (patio about 8 X 12 surrounded by pebbles) - this will last longer & will be more durable & looks better. Weeds can grow through pebbles especially if underlay isn't the correct one - you still need to use weed killer from time to time & if tenant won't can't do this you land up with forest of weeds in the pebbles (I say this with deep feelings)
Sadly not everybody like gardening.

[SistemaAddict]

There's gravel under at least part of it, the rest is kind of ground sheet like stuff. There's a big tree next door that deposits hundreds of seeds all over the garden in autumn and as a result we have baby trees in every plant pot. I like trees but I don't fancy hundreds of them sprouting in the gravel for me to weed out.
I'll just make it look as nice as possible and possibly get a big square of fake grass to sit on top of the gravel for comfort for the summer.

[JoJoSM2]

You could ask for astroturf or synthetic decking. They’re more expensive but you can play the card that if the LL wants to rent out to families, they’re much better than gravel.

[StandardLampski]

This will not be what you want to hear but our harden was all gravel when we moved in. Thrilled as we thought low maintenance.

It was the neighbourhood litter tray
Endless cat shit walked into house. Couldn't let kids play in it ( but oh they did. Put that down !!)

We ended up psaying a small fortune to have it nicely paved but worth every penny....

[DblEspresso]

So you have lived in this house a long time and allowed the garden to get into a "terrible state of repair". Your LL is probably pissed with you and decided to turn it into gravel so that you can't mess it up again. Seems logical from a LL point of view.
Its best for you as well, atleast it will now be a usable area for you to lounge around.

[DespairingHomeowner]

Are you willing to maintain a lawn? I think you can certainly have a conversation with your LL about this as you are a long term tenant

Working out what would be a reasonable cost makes it more likely you’ll come to a solution. You could mention that gravel might make it unappealing to future tenants?

[TheMagicDeckchair]

Gravel will be awful if you have trees around. The leaves will mulch into it, and seeds will start to grow. Unless you can spend lots of time maintaining it and putting weed killer down I wouldn’t have it. I know from experience having replaced significant amounts from our garden and driveway.

Maybe ask your landlord if he can arrange for the garden to be dug up and the base prepared, if you could pay for extra turf if he isn’t willing to do this?

[DespairingHomeowner]

Will you move if the garden is gravel? Most LL would not want to lose established tenants

[WaltzingBetty]

@DblEspresso

So you have lived in this house a long time and allowed the garden to get into a "terrible state of repair". Your LL is probably pissed with you and decided to turn it into gravel so that you can't mess it up again. Seems logical from a LL point of view.
Its best for you as well, atleast it will now be a usable area for you to lounge around.

Di you want to try reading the thread before you unkindly berate the OP for old rotten decking that she can't do anything with @DblEspresso ?

@SistemaAddict Def raise the cat poo issue with your landlord, and if he lays gravel anyway make sure it has a membrane beneath it to prevent seedlings and weeds sprouting.

Would he consider fake grass?

[Suzi888]

Astro turf? Gravel will go everywhere!

[Ninkanink]

Mention the cat poo problem to the LL and he’ll probably change his mind...