Mowing a new lawn that arrived as weed free turf and removing the grass clippings to the compost bin where they are undoubtedly of benefit as their high nitrogen content activates the composting process as well as balancing both the carbon and dry additions to the heap is ordinary enough.
Doing this weekly for years reduces the soils fertility and creates a more perfect place for wild flowers to grow, lawn weeds to most people, a wild flower meadow to others?
As my sight line comes level with the swing ball lawn as I walk up through the Potager I can see the result of years of mowing, a sea of white clover flowers (Trifolium repens). These are of course easily mown off when the lawn has its Friday clip ready for visitor inspection on Sunday.
The white clover is a useful indicator that soil is low in nitrogen, no surprise there as we are removing it weekly by the mower box full. They also talk of uncultivated or neglected land which they are great at colonising, establishing circles that eventually join up, they are happy to co-exist with grasses and other species. The soil below this lawn was exhausted by over ten years of growth of the abandoned nursery stock that rooted through its pots and the weed suppressant membrane and into the starving soil, being held prisoner below, worms unable to move through the nylon sheet to feed it with leaf litter.
Another truth spoken by the clover.
The interdependent web continues as clover, a member of the pea family, like its cousins has the ability to fix nitrogen from the air into the soil with the nitrogen fixing bacteria that live in the nodules on its roots. This nitrogen is of course what makes the grass grow well and green, grass is hungry for nitrogen, clover is able to supply it, what happy bed fellows.
So do you really still want a 'weed' free lawn?
Ingrained into Britishness is the perfect lawn 100% weed free and heavens forbid no moss. Many people bemoan their lawns invaders and ask me how to get rid of them. I always ask " Does the lawn look green when you look out of the window at it ?" The reply is usually yes so my answer is "If it is green enjoy it and don't worry about the 'weeds' or moss, they want to be there!"
At Potager we enjoy our lawns, not usually considered a component of a permaculture garden, but we love them for their ability to give people space to relax, laze in deckchairs, play badminton, pitch a tent and party in our new marquee.
The clover is good then, it gives our grass a free nitrogen fix, the flowers are debatedly pretty, I love them, Peter doesn't, he thinks they make the lawn look untidy, the flowers are loved for their nectar by our newest residents the honey bees and we ate the flowers and leaves at our wild food forage events in salads.
Above all though who can deny the childhood pleasure and excitement of laying on a species rich lawn making daisy chains and looking for the elusive good luck charm, the four leafed clover ?
PS the photo is daisy's (Bellis perenis) at Dartington Hall Estate Devon
