Alternative 'flooring' for garden

[Basketofchocolate]

Quick story:

• Currently have gravelly stuff inherited from previous owners.
• Storm damage means lots of change to the garden forced on us and now we have to come up with a design that suits.
• Have some containers, but and a tree and need a new shed, but not much else is fixed. Want to keep some colour as now missing the green and flowery hedges we did have (storm damage)

• Not really natural gardeners and have limited time but like to spend time outside when the weather is nice
• Kitchen doors look out to the garden, so enjoy having it look pretty even in winter as always see the garden
• Have limited funds
• Have 5yr old boy

What should we change the 'flooring' of the garden to (or not change it!)? Not lawn as need to mow it and live in SE, so not good when we inevitably run out of water every summer.

Concrete? Artificial grass? Whole thing decked out? I have no idea.

How big is it? That will make a big difference to what would or would not be a good idea to put down.

Storm damage to a hedge ??,if your on a budget grass will be the cheapest option,will also look the best,& be the most child friendly,imo.

size...hmmm...not too good with that sort of thing. A few metres by several metres long I'd think.

the hedge was quite a large, dominant feature and came down with a wall in the storms in Feb. That was the most greenery in the garden aside from the tree.

most people round here seem to avoid large amounts of grass as it goes dry and brown and then we have to buy and store a mower.

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there is an article about artificial grass in this month's Gardener's World magazine - might be worth reading.

Cool, thanks, will seek it out.

I have artificial grass put down by my lovely dad as a surprise recently, its fab its so soft like carpet, doesn't irrate skin, my little one loves it! And looks real. I'm rubbish at gardens everywhere i have lived grass has become a field of weeds so this is great and no maintance especially with hayfever. Could tell you how much it cost but is top quality stuff and worth every penny my parents paid for it they said.

Meant couldn't not could

I think grass is good. My friends have just had a patch of artificial grass around their shed and its as good as the real thing, and no mowing.

Personally, I wouldn't do decking as everyone who I know who had it got rats, and if its a patio directly outside your house, they come in under the floorboards too.

Yes the artificial grass is prob.what is required here,but op is on a limited budget,& to have a good quality job done is gonna cost serious money,quite agree about decking & rats,& concreting the garden will devalue your house.

a lawn isn't that much hassle surely?
if you are worried about hosepipe bans get a water butt, and share a lawnmower with a neighbour

Thanks for the suggestions.
artificial grass does seem to be the way of the future, so perhaps more likely to add value to the house too.
Will have a look at that article and count our pennies to see if can manage it.

Lawn. Artificial grass always looks fake in my experience, even the very expensive stuff. It also has to be swept regularly as leaves cannot rot down into it, so not as low maintenance as it might initially appear.

I wouldn't count on it to add value to your house either - it will put off a lot of people.

I really don't understand how people can find a lawn in a small garden handy with children. We had one (small garden with lawn) at our last place and with the exception of about one month of the year it was either a mud patch, in need of cutting or dry and yellow. I do love a good lawn but IME there really is a tipping point in terms of size where it becomes much more hassle than it's worth.

I'd bloody love a lawn.

I like the idea of fake grass - does it get slimey and mossy in the shaded areas over time? Tiles with the odd one here and there missing and planted with thyme or the like is practical and low maintenance.

But, yeah - in any case I'd be looking to re-plant a mixed, native hedge come autumn (no a massive fuss or cost) as a top priority. Maybe a fruit tree or two if you have space?