Gravel garden wtf??

[SistemaAddict]

I have 3 dc of playing-in-the-garden age. Youngest is 5 We rent our house and have lived here most of their lives. The LL has decided to re-do the garden as it is in a terrible state of repair and dangerous. In gravel/stones. The entire garden. Please tell me this won't be as shit as I think it will. It's as not a big garden- about 25' square ish.

[SpeedofaSloth]

It depends on how it's done. We laid a gravel patio in our last house on a base of MOT with a quite angular stone on top, which we wacker-plated down and my toddler DS played out happily. We used weedkiller once a year to deal with seedlings from the trees though these days I think I would use a heat gun thing instead.

Loose shushy gravel, not so great.

[DaffodilsAndDandelions]

Gravel will be a disaster area. I'm a landscaper and regularly have clients moaning about it. Can't sweep or blow leaves away so they rot into lovely compost for seeds to grow in after the first year. Requires constant weeding or weed killing. The best compromise in your situation h as to be wall to wall turf. Not seed. Not seed. Definitely not seed. It won't germinate or flourish with children around. Lawns need cutting once a fortnight and that's it. No feed or fertiliser as they just make it grow to fast. And no weedkiller required either though plenty of lawn specialists will tell you both are essential!

[Mydogisagentleman]

I’m a landlord.
I would be receptive to having a couple of tons of top soil delivered if you would be willing to either sow grass seed or lay turf.

[PurplePansy05]

Choking hazard? How old are your kids?

[JoJoSM2]

I would be receptive to having a couple of tons of top soil delivered if you would be willing to either sow grass seed or lay turf.

That could be an idea. But yes, lawns certainly need care beyond mowing: weed killer, fertiliser etc. to keep it decent.

[Saz12]

I’m not a hippy (honest). But plastic, bird-proof Astro turf...? Because you’ve children??!!

[SistemaAddict]

I'm more than happy to care for a lawn. We have lawn at the front.

[LolaSkoda]

I would not be happy and would move. I expect a garden to be a garden and not what resembles a driveway.

What a horrid LL.

My neighbour has a gravel garden. It looks fucking awful, like it belongs in the soviet.

[sunshinesupermum]

mumwon I've had astroturf for years and it has never needed cleaning! It covers most of the horrid grey pavers on my terrace, looks like the real thing and my grandchildren love playing on it.

[Murmurur]

Yes lawn is much easier. Would you be able to offer a contribution? He's probably wanting gravel for low cost and maintenance, and because it avoids having to deal with whatever's under the decking.

We bought a house with big pebbles all over the garden, like giant gravel. It was zero maintenance but horrible to be on - even uncomfortable to walk on. It was very easy to replace with turf and I'm sure we added value doing so.

[SistemaAddict]

There's a thin layer of gravel under the whole area. The guy is just going to put a load more on top. On top of the weeds and seeds and random bits of soil. I'm trying to be positive but am struggling to see how it's going to look nice.

[SBTLove]

If you’ve lived there years why have you not maintained the garden? Most tenants tend their garden themselves. Could you ask LL the budget and work with them towards a lawn? something family friendly?

[Bingbongbinglybong]

It will look bearable for about a year, then debris will accumulate and if you move he will help to do it again. Loads of tenants would reject a house with an awful garden (point out to LL it is a family home so tenants expect to use the garden with young kids, gravel is a huge turn off.

Persuade him to do a new deck and turf, promise to care for it.

[SistemaAddict]

I have maintained the garden. When they took it up the beams underneath were totally rotten. I'm not sure how I could have prevented that from happening?

[SistemaAddict]

Oh good, it's already being used as a cat toilet 😩 and ds is digging it up because he lives digging in gravel. This is going to be a disaster.

[SistemaAddict]

It's so ugly. The new stone has been put over the existing stones and there's now two sewer grids exposed and standing about 3inches above the gravel. My planters with trellises now need blocks under them as the garden has dropped 6 inches. I'll do my best to make it look nicer but I'm so pissed off with the careless job that's been done. It does indeed look like a driveway.