need some SAGE advice

[WhiffleSqueak]

arf arf seewhatididthere?

ahem.

THYME actually.

I have recently moved into a lovely C18th cottage in the Cotswolds. it's rented, but is a long term option as it is let by a charitable trust. unfortunately the last tenants allowed the half acre it sits on to go absolutely WILD and as a very novice gardener I am at a total loss as to where to begin.

I have chosen to focus my attention on a little square of lawn at the front of the house, as this is the most visible spot and my poor neighbours must be sick of looking at it.

here's the issue. the lawn is basically 90% moss which I am killing off with scarification and that chemical which I can't recall the name of. moss has clearly set in due to the shady aspect of this lawn which is overshadowed by a small copse across the road.

so I think it is never going to be a beautiful, conventional lawn.

does anyone have any experience using creeping thyme as a lawn alternative? I would (generously) describe the aspect as partial shade and there is no cause for anyone to walk across it. is it a viable option? if not, what on earth can I do? the spot is also very dry, I think, and has a fairly mature yew in one corner.

sorry for the length of this post, as you can probably tell I'm at a bit of a loss!

thyme needs lots of sun doesn't it? you can get grass seed for shady areas. to be honest we made our really shady areas under trees into a patio. in the boarder next to it i put hostas and ferns - they look really good - do you need a lawn or could you plant instead if its that small?

Wow, your home sounds amazing! We need pictures!

Unfortunately, most of the 'alternative' lawns (chamomile, thyme) need sun. I suspect you will be onto a losing battle with those.

It sounds as though you have a combination of wet shade (where there is moss) and dry shade (under the yew), am I right? In which case, you have two different but equally challenging places to grow a lawn!

I have a very shaded lawn, and I turfed it with a special shade-tolerant variety (you can buy seed too). The blades of grass are much finer than in an ordinary lawn. It does OK, but it is a lot more delicate than ordinary turf and is taking some time to establish itself in strength. It is a very small area, so I am prepared to fuss it a bit.

For the mossy parts, I would be tempted to scarify, as you're doing, aerate, and then reseed patches where it's bare with a shade lawn variety. You could also think about reducing the size of the lawn with larger borders planted with shade-tolerant plants. (There are some lovely ones available that are not difficult to grow).

You won't get grass to grow under a yew very easily because it is both shady and dry - so difficult for a lot of plants so maybe edge a border off there and either underplant (challenging, but perhaps possible with the right varieties, e.g. geraniums) or put down weed sheeting and cover with bark.

I have a north-facing garden and I use these guys a lot! plantsforshade.co.uk/

the area is about 22, maybe 25 sq ft so could easily accommodate generous borders. one of the corners in particular is a lovely bit of deep gloomy shade and I bet some ferns would look just right there!

thank you for the tip regarding the shade tolerant grasses - I never knew! as the yew is in a corner, perhaps I will rethink the space and dig one, substantial bed in the centre of the space and plant a "border" of grass around the outside?

it shares the same aspect as my neighbours who all have such lovely gardens so hopefully with a little love and a lot of work it can be brought up to scratch. I would love to share pictures, I'll go take some in the morning sunshine now