Camomile lawn or similar lawn alternatives

[BloomedAgain]

I've got a small patch of lawn (rented ground floor flat). The grass was overgrown and now lots of dead patches since it has been mown regularly. I love the idea of a camomile lawn or similar alternative e.g. creeping thyme, though preferably lowish pollen. Could I plant camomile/thyme in between the healthy patches? Should I replace the whole lawn with camomile? I'd love to hear about anyone's lawn alternatives.

I have no idea but I've been trying (failing) to convince dh we should grow a moss lawn...this might be the perfect compromise. Thank you!

Oooh moss lawn you say ...
I've also heard of clover lawns.

Having recently returned from a tour of Japan, my vote is for a moss lawn - so soft and velvety. Google some images.

I am trying to grow a Corsican mint lawn, a chamomile lawn and a creeping thyme lawn. Three separate areas. None of them are growing particularly fast, although I expected the mint to go nuts. To be fair, it's only been three weeks!

Just research carefully what conditions they need to thrive before you start and be realistic about any maintenance and watering required.

(Its like mini ponds, look great on Pinterest, in practice I was just breeding mosquitos 😆). I’m imagining you watering your moss lawn 10 x a day in summer.

Yeah, research what conditions each species need. North facing, a bit damp would be great for moss for example. Sounds like a fun project

I've just been googling moss lawns. Gorgeous colour but I don't think the conditions would be ideal. @MabelBee I would like to sniff all your lawns.
Are you growing them from bare soil or was grass established before?

Hmm, I've got a dandelion and daisy lawn.
Not quite the same thing ☹.

A highly prized wildflower lawn Chasingsquirrels

🤣

I'd love a moss lawn but imagine the dog would scrat it right up, if any of the alternatives are more robust I'd love to know!

The mint and chamomile are bare soil. The thyme is kind of intended to spill over a low wall in a flowerbed next to the lawn. All three are equidistant to an existing, patchy lawn and I am very keen to see if any of them fill the patches in! I am a complete novice, don't have a clue what I'm doing. All I know is I have well drained soil and a garden which is naturally quite alpine. It may well be that I end up with something more gravel garden than lawn.

That sounds gorgeous MabelBee. This article is interesting and mentions Alpine Pratia which might be nice for your lawn if it lives up to its name www.google.com/amp/s/deepgreenpermaculture.com/2018/07/02/the-proper-use-of-lawn-alternatives/amp/

I don't know what would be dog proof Whackaguacamole

That's interesting. I had understood that mint and thyme could withstand moderate footfall. Also, when the garden centre man said under no circumstances to plant the mint in the ground, or I wouldn't get rid of it, I took that to mean it would definitely spread out and cover my bare patches. So instantly bought loads of them!

I've read that none of these lawn substitutes will withstand dog toileting. But one of our areas is dog free so that might be our only success.

It was either Gardeners World or Beechgrove which suggested started chamomile off in a very cut down cardboard box (or shoe box lid) filled with a shallow layer of compost. Once it's got going, you then don't need to prick it out but can just then put the cardboard box straight onto wherever you wanted the chamomile and it would establish there as the box rotted down.

If you google “tapestry lawns”, you get some good hits on grass-free lawn alternatives.

I think the mint would spread mabelbee.
Prettybird that sounds like magic! I will try to get to my local garden centre.
ATowel 'tapestry lawn' is so evocative. So much choice!

I googled it yesterday because of another thread (can't recall which) and got lost in it for quite some time.

Sadly I don't think it would withstand 3 football-playing kids!

I can't get over the colour of moss lawns. Unfortunately it would never work on my patch.

My dad is of the opinion that he never minds moss in his lawn on the basis that moss is green!

Your dad has the right idea!

I sowed a chamomile lawn in a small circle, which grew very successfully, just scattering chamomile seed about. It needs regular weeding though, which I didn't do last year and the grass/weeds have now taken over so I'll have to redo it. Chamomile Treneague is usually the chamomile used for lawns because it doesn't flower, but it's expensive.

www.kernock.co.uk/acatalog/Chamomile-nobile-Treneague-U181.html

Vita Sackville-West had a thyme lawn and she reported it needing to be weeded about four times a year, so you just have to keep on top of it.

sissinghurstcastle.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/the-thyme-lawns-revisted/

Oh wow. I'm tempted to splurge on the chamomile! I like the idea of a non-flowering lawn that spreads its scent by stealth.
I love Sissinghurst so that's more inspiration for me.

I love it too. There's a chamomile seat in the herb garden there.

Just yesterday I was researching this very thing (husband gets all flustered at the thought of Claypso and camomile lawns)

I need to full wideish gaps between paving stones but am wondering if moss would be better. It’s shaded and damp