Estate Living Magazine Design for living - Issue 42 June 2019 | Page 47

C O M M U N I T Y
Or we think we need our lawns.
Or you could even allow your existing lawn to
grow to its natural length to create a pasture,
and mow only narrow paths in the areas where
you’re likely to need to walk. But, if you feel you
really need some ‘proper’ lawn, restrict it to a
focal point of a few square metres – and think
carefully about what kind of grass you plant.
I
And yet many of us need our lawns – or at least
spaces where the kids can play, or we can relax
(and braai!), or the dogs can, you know, do
what dogs tend to do.
But if we were to consider the design of our
few square metres of outdoor space more
thoroughly, we’d probably find far more
creative ways to cover the ground that don’t
rob the environment of its riches: gravel, for
example, or decking, paving, or low-growing,
water-wise plants that don’t need mowing.
Ground covers, in other words.
generally requires ridiculous amounts of
water (which isn’t exactly a plentiful resource
in sunny South Africa); it’s often susceptible
to fungal and other diseases that require
regular poisoning; and most species require
regular fertilising since frequent mowing
prevents lawns from setting up their own self-
generating ecosystems of the kind you’d find
in natural pastures.
L I V I N G