Aibu to think people in the UK need to start accepting they can’t have green lawns all year?

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We’re in southern England, it’s been very hot and dry for the last few weeks. Unsurprisingly our lawn is now a yellowy brown colour. I expect when it rains enough later in the year it will return to being more green. But to me this is just how things are at the moment due to the changing climate.

Yet our neighbours on both sides seem to be in a panic about their yellowy brown lawns, and are spending hours each day watering their lawns with hosepipes in an effort to make them more green.

This seems like such a massive waste of water (and of time and effort). Yes I know there’s no hosepipe ban so they’re not doing anything illegal, but it feels like their behaviour is really misguided. The world is heating and the UK’s climate is changing incredibly quickly. Surely everyone is going to have to adapt their mindset, and part of that is accepting that your garden won’t look like it did 40 years ago?

Water is such a scarce resource, some countries already have wars and conflict brewing due to shortages, and these are only going to worsen. To be using so much water to artificially turn lawns in the UK green when we no longer have a climate that naturally supports this seems madness to me.

Grass is majority perennial and will come back

My in laws are very slowly coming round to the idea that having the sprinkler on every day is counterproductive.

I ignore the lawn. But I’ve been watering with a hose in the borders as garden is only 2 years old and I’ve got lots of shrubs and trees that just aren’t established yet. But it’s once a week and a targeted proper deep wayering. A good drench. Also while it’s been dry here we are in north west and the reservoirs are fine where we are.

Me too. Paving slabs/concrete/gravel increase the heat in the summer. It’s why cities suffer more in heatwaves and more heat deaths occur in cities. It also reduces biodiversity and local wildlife. Every morning I have a flock of birds on my lawn busily munching up insects and also drinking some water (I always have fresh water out in summer for local birds, wildlife and neighbour cats).

mine is quite green, apart from brown patches from dog wee

the park nearby they keep very much mowed, and is brown,
i think the council should mow less
our local rec, full of clover flowers, it looks lovely

does it matter if you water tomatoes with washing up water? ie detergent <<probably stupid question but I am feeling brave>>

Our water butt has been empty for weeks

I agree too

I hope people don’t do this

Greenery is so important

Doesn't really matter although an eco friend detergent would be better - standard detergent isn't good for plants long term

Mow less is a great idea all round for the planet

We need some fashionable gardeners to lead new trends as at the moment if you try a meadow as a lawn younger lots of raised eyebrows and snide comment's

Our lawn isn’t very big (suburban semi) but I’m thinking of giving up on the lawn as it is now and planting some small trees - hazel trees, apple trees etc.

The lawn is becoming a pain and so many new neighbours have moved in in recent years and chopped the trees down at their borders that I’m sure it contributed to the intense heat feeling so awful last week. No shade anywhere.

So I’m thinking dappled sunlight through leaves would be way preferable to the baking hot feel of a totally parched lawn.

It seems to actually give off heat when it’s really hot so I’m wondering if putting trees on it would help.

Ours is yellow, brown and crispy, but has lots of clover, with bees and other beneficial insects.

Still looks much nicer to me than both my next door neighbours'... who go out to hoover their bright green, outdoor, plastic carpets - they don't like it when I call it that... very expensive artificial lawn.

Trees are by far the best for cooling down an urban area so I read the other day but can't remember details

thank you @midgetastic

Yes I remember someone on radio talking about cooling property of trees in cities and urban areas

I hope that is the adaptation we do, not paving, fake grass or air con even

There are groups who do it if anyone is interested, we have Street Trees who take donations and planted a whole street with really nice cherry blossom trees

Yes, trees are the absolute best way to cool an urban area. Need to select them carefully though as some varieties require a lot of water to grow.

Trees are a natural air conditioning system. It’s very sad, because every single new neighbour chops their down.

i am sure the last time i saw gardeners world they were pretty scathing about the whole neat lawns, calling it old fashioned.

Unless they have been laid within the last year, lawns are resilient and will quickly recover. They may not look as nice and that is upsetting if you have had a perfect lawn and take pride in it, but there are more important things in life than having the perfect lawn.

even Wakehurst, part of Kew Gardens, has started a prairie garden

We have four water butts. They are all empty right now

I refuse to water my lawn. I’ll chuck some clover seed down next time it rains, see if it grows.

Completely agree, and that’s interesting about trees providing natural cooling. Such a shame so many neighbours are cutting theirs down because they shade their garden too much or make it difficult to cut the grass. I think the law should change to protect all trees over a certain size/age and people have to apply for a permit to remove them.

Yes this is very true, some farmers in hot countries now plant trees in between certain crop plants as a way to tackle the effects of climate change.

Trees and bushes create their own micro climates for cooling and protection from extrema weather events.

Trees are also pretty smart, they retain water around their root systems for use in drought and are also brilliant at absorbing pollution, and can also break up noise.

If you have trees and hedges around your boundary, they act to cool the area and remove pollution from traffic and can deduce noise. Just be careful where you plant trees and consider the root systems and size, hedges are good for most people too and spiky hedges also act as a deterrent to intruders and can keep cats out ect if maintained correctly.

Greening in city's including plants in design and growing plants on buildings and trees in open spaces, do act as cooling and produce wonderful microclimates for people.

I won't water my grass but I do look after my hedges and trees, they are vitaly important for all our wildlife in this weather.

InChocolateWeTrust

Water butts empty for weeks in SE, wish so much it would rain

We have 40 year old bushy evergreen trees (started off as "slow growing conifers", now 8 ft tall after trimming) growing a few feet in front of our front windows... mainly for privacy, but also keeps our house cooler as the sun is on that side of the house from 1pm onwards.

We stayed at Center parcs during the heatwave. Was lovely, all that forest shade.