Grass

[helendj]

Hi there,
Thinking of grassing our garden - would anyone be able to recommend a) where we can buy Australian seeds (understand this is the best?) and b) is turfing a really expensive option? Any advice greatfully received.

[ozankoys]

With the acute water shortage here lawns are not really environmentally friendly as they need constant watering - water that is NEEDED for other purposes. Yes we do have a swimming pool though.

[Mollie the cat]

When I see people constantly hosing down tarmac and paving outside their houses I have no worries about watering my lawns! In answer to the question, the grass seed you are talking about is about 140tl a kilo last time I priced it. There is a shop at the back of Lemar which sells all types of grass seed, they could explain better the cost.

[helendj]

thank you mollie the cat, will look into that - and as for the other response at least I don't have a pool, but then I did expect that sort of reply from some one - the downside of asking something on a forum,. For anyone concerned about water wastage our water is accessed via the drainage system we have and not household water so no waste of water; am I now considered environmentally friendly, probably not. last post on this subject.

[Col]

Personally on a time and managing the lawn in the heat I would advise against. We did try it a long time ago but it needed so much attention in fact it never did look any good, we took it up and put pebbles down with plants in between. I guess that is why we see a lot more pools than lawns. Each to their own though.

[Lor51]

Its your house, your taste, do want you want and to hang with anyone else's opinion. I had a lawn in another hot climate and it was difficult to maintain, my dog (bitch) used to pee on it when ever she could and that created brown dead patches of grass, I grew replacement grass in plant pots but in the end it looked like a patch work quilt. There is nothing like a lovely lush green lawn in a garden, I have a pool, the water is supplied by the well as it the water for my plants. I have however gone with gravel as it is low maintenance. Good luck.

[Jonnie]

Personally I would hold off till after this summer. We have had appallingly low rainfall this winter and may be in for some sort of a drought crunch this summer. Wells and springs may possibly run dry and mains will be further rationed. Add into this possible controls imposed by the municipalities which may include any irrigation of domestic gardens hose pipe bans etc

To keep a lawn green here, even a small one will require several tons of water per week whether that comes from wells, mains or springs it all comes from the aquifers and only time will tell how full they are.

The Australian grass is resilient but as a lawn grass I do not like it, it is quite course.

[silverfox1]

There is only one logical answer.
Put down decent plastic grass!!

No water, No Maintenance, No Electricity to power the pump, Always stays green whatever the weather.

I have done it myself and it looks the business.

Regards

[waddo]

silverfox1, have been interested in the plastic grass for ages but can never seem to find any that looks good enough to use. Could you give me an idea where you got your's from, how much you used and what the (ish!) price was please? PM me if you would rather as it is a question concerns "Money" and most folks are reluctant to go public with that - lol.

Last year I bought 2 sq mtrs of cracking plastic grass from China Bazzar for princely sum of 60TL and tried out my dog's on that - it was a great success, but some keen eyed devil spotted it before I got back to the shop a bought the whole roll!!!! Never seen anything like it since, gloom!!!

[Jonnie]

Waddo they have rolls of it at SIBA, do not know if it is any good though

[me&him]

For artificial grass : Have a chat to Izzy at "Sparks" DIY ( main road Lapta/Karsiyaka border). He has different grades depending on where you need it, i.e. shade or direct sun, high use or ornamental.

Really good DIY shop too.