Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Old 28-12-2004, 01:45 PM
 
Posts: n/a
Default bluebells in my lawn, when to cut

Hi All,

I am looking to plant bluebells in the lawn at the back of my house.
The soil is a little heavy with little if any direct sun during winter
The lawn isnt used much as I often let the rough grass grow much longer
than the front lawn.

Is it best to plant Bluebells in the green?

When is the best time to plant?

How long do I leave my lawn before I can cut it in the spring?
I live in the North East (UK).

Chris

  #3   Report Post  
Old 28-12-2004, 04:38 PM
Kay
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article .com,
writes
Hi All,

I am looking to plant bluebells in the lawn at the back of my house.
The soil is a little heavy with little if any direct sun during winter
The lawn isnt used much as I often let the rough grass grow much longer
than the front lawn.

Is it best to plant Bluebells in the green?


Doesn't make much difference. They're as tough as old boots.
If you're buying, check carefully (if it matters to you) whether you're
getting english or spanish bluebells - some sold as english are in fact
spanish. English are a darker blue, gently nodding, with more scent.
Spanish are paler, more open bells, flowers all around a stiffly held
stem.

When is the best time to plant?

How long do I leave my lawn before I can cut it in the spring?


They don't flower until about May and you'll need to leave the leaves at
least six weeks beyond that.

I'm not sure, though, that bluebells are the best bet for a lawn.
They're woodland plants, making the most of light early in the year
before the tree foliage has thickened up, and in that habitat, they
don't have to compete with grass. And they have a nasty habit of letting
they're leaves flop, which wouldn't be very good for any grass
underneath. They're quite late flowering bulbs, and there's plenty else
of interest around that time.

If you just want to liven up the lawn in the spring, I would suggest
some of the smaller growing daffodils (the 6-8 inch size). They are used
to being in grass, and being earlier, they'd be out of the way a lot
earlier and let you mow again. Snowdrops re another possibility.
Crocuses won't open fully if they don't have warmth, in the shape of
direct sunlight. If it's the blue colour you want, you could see whether
scillas or chionodoxa can be grown in grass - I'm not sure that they
can, but I don't know. If the lawn is fairly damp, snake's head
fritillary is another option -very beautiful, but not so showy. Finally,
cowslips do well in grass provided it's kept reasonably short - but I
mean about 4 - 6 inches rather than lawn-short.

I live in the North East (UK).


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

  #5   Report Post  
Old 29-12-2004, 01:51 AM
Registered User
 
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Dec 2004
Posts: 95
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by
Hi All,

I am looking to plant bluebells in the lawn at the back of my house.

Chris
agree with everything posted above....the 6 week after flowering thing applies...english bluebell the flowers are held all on one side of the stem, spanish the flowers are all around....theres got to better lawn things though....how about snowdrop followed by narsissus and siberian squill...wots the latin is it Scilla ?...
avoid in borders my freinds Musacri...the dratted foliage hangs about all year round looking naff.


  #9   Report Post  
Old 01-01-2005, 09:49 PM
Pam Moore
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 01 Jan 2005 14:20:38 GMT, Paul Luton
wrote:

cyclamen coum are flowering now. Their leaves appear in october and vanish
by late spring and they will self seed if happy.


But you wouldn't put cyclamen in a lawn! (Nor bluebells)
Snowdrops and / or crocus would be best.

Pam in Bristol
  #11   Report Post  
Old 02-01-2005, 09:54 PM
Paul Luton
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In message
Pam Moore wrote:



But you wouldn't put cyclamen in a lawn! (Nor bluebells)
Snowdrops and / or crocus would be best.

Pam in Bristol


They put themselves there! - seeding from the border into a thin and rather
shaded area of lawn. The grass in the summer is no worse than before and
the whole area is much more interesting in the spring

Paul


--
CTC Right to Ride Representative for Richmond upon Thames
Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
can i cut my dead bluebells? DominiqueB United Kingdom 7 08-06-2006 07:21 AM
[IBC] To cut or not to cut that´s the question. Henrik Gistvall Bonsai 0 04-11-2004 01:39 PM
To cut or not to cut ? Allen Lai Lawns 4 31-10-2003 11:22 PM
To cut or not to cut .... Allen Lai Lawns 9 12-06-2003 04:56 AM
Bluebells on the lawn Fred United Kingdom 2 14-04-2003 07:08 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:54 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 GardenBanter.co.uk.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Gardening"

 

Copyright © 2017