Would I be insane to make a mint lawn?

[sizeofalentil]

We have a tiny patch of garden - about the size of several dining room tables.

DH hates grass, realised creeping thyme will probably not work. Wildflowers would be cool but will take a long time to come up.

Would I be made to plant a lot of mint and use it as ground cover? We have no flower beds it could grown in to, the neighbours all have paved gardens so it wouldn't invade theirs and we don't use the garden heavily (we're ttc so no dc just yet. We have cats but they are very light footed).

The mint would be stood on and we'd sit on it with blankets etc.

Would it release green clothes-staining juice do you think? Is this just a really stupid idea?

[MyVisionsComeFromSoup]

so if I had a north facing "lawn" which was about two thirds moss/one third grass and very damp, and I wanted to turn it into a clover lawn, would I need to dig up what's there, or could I just add clover? Would it take over from the grass? or does it need better conditions than my clay soil/prone to sogginess in wet weather front garden?

[GreenMarkerPen]

I would rake out as much moss as possible, airate it and then put a seed&feed down. make sure you get one for shady areas. some seed mixes have clover already in.

[BYOSnowman]

Can you mow a mixed grass/clover lawn?

[GreenMarkerPen]

yes it can be mown as normal

[Pico2]

My parents have an accidental moss lawn and it has a lovely bounce to it.

[Liara]

OP can you read French?

these guys have a whole book on lawn alternatives which is unfortunately currently only in French, but will apparently soon come out in English too.

here is a list of plants all of which are suitable for use as lawns, whether mixed or all of one type. Unfortunately also in French, but you can see the Latin names and google the plants I guess.

Zoysias make a surface which looks quite similar to a lawn but does not need mowing, the compacting from being walked on alone is enough to keep it short.

[sizeofalentil]

Thank you so much everyone.

I think I might actually just do grass in the end, and lie to DH and tell him it's something else. Found out last week, while cooking, that he doesn't know the difference between basil and lavender, so I'll just say it's 'French stems' or something else made-up and fancy-sounding and he'll believe me, and I'll get a lawn.

[shovetheholly]

It's a stealth lawn!

[sizeofalentil]

I could probably get away with getting turf put down and saying it was fast-growing seed…

[Cherylene]

I think grass is the easiest. It looks like new every time you wiz over it with a rotary mower, and the weeds do not show up too badly, unlike the gravel every one round here went for a few years ago. (One has just replaced it with turf).

[sizeofalentil]

Or I might just do patches of all of these things and see what happens…

[dolkapots]

On the Secret Gardening Club they have an offer on Corsica mint which sounds ideal for a lawn.

[shovetheholly]

I love a clover lawn. Make sure you get the right variety though - you probably want a close-growing, ground-hugging one, not one of the green manure varieties that grows tall!

However, I am unable to grow it in my shaded garden - it really doesn't like it at all. I've noticed that hardly any lawns in my part of the world (slightly acid soil) seem to have it, yet when you get onto the limestone, it's everywhere. I don't know if this is pH or something else geological - I can't imagine it's rain because the white peak gets plenty o that too! Someone else may be able to help.

[shovetheholly]

Ooops, sorry - posting not having looked at page 2. Sorry!

[Gin4lunch]

Dh is a tree surgen and he said he's never heard of a more rediculous idea than a mint lawn!!!!for one it will spread like wild fire and when you need to cut it you will just have stubble.though your garden and dh will smell lovely.👌