I was searching for some advice on maintaining my little chamomile lawn and came across all kinds of conflicting information - so I thought I'd post a progress report and see what help I'd receive.

I have a lawn of about 9 sq metres next to a pond which I planted last year with little plants grown from a few packets of seed (from Chilterns). It was quite late in the summer by the time they were ready to go in, but they survived the winter and are now growing happily.

There are still gaps between the plants and weeding is a problem. I also have overhanging trees near the site which produce all kinds of debris - the pine needles are a particular nuisance. The slight tackiness of the plants makes removal a bit tricky. I was thinking of giving it more protection in the autumn - a net wasn't enough - a polythene canopy for a few weeks perhaps?

The other issue is the edge next to the pond. I was told the lawn wouldn't like getting too damp so I'm experimenting with plants don't mind getting their feet wet, but haven't yet found any that look good next to the chamomile - any ideas?

Sue H