Grass lawns have been the main feature of most domestic gardens for many years, but recent trends in garden design have provided a range of other options to consider for covering the ground.
Why choose a lawn? A lawn is quick and each to lie requires little skill to maintain and looks good when it is well cared for.
It is perhaps the best all round surface and is one of the cheapest methods of covering large areas of ground.
When regularly mown and trimmed, a lawn provides an attractive open space that sets off all the surrounding features and provides cohesion to the overall design.
There are two main grades of domestic lawns.
High quality putting or Bowling Green lawn is the most ornamental, but it requires a lot of attention and fairly frequent mowing to keep it in tip top condition.
For most people, though, a standard lawn, also called a family or utility lawn is perfectly adequate.
It is harder wearing and requires cutting less often, so it takes a lot less time to maintain.
Although there are special lawn grass mixes for difficult situations, such as shade, a lawn requires more maintenance if the growing conditions are not ideal.
In some situations such as deep shade a ground covering of shade loving plants may be a better option.
Also consider alternative coverings where mowing would be difficult or dangerous, such as on a steep slope.
If you do not want a grass lawn but still require an open space in the middle of the garden, there are a number of other options you can use to cover the ground.
In a sunny, well drained site a few herbs, such as chamomile, thyme and comfrey, are sufficiently low growing to create a lush lawn effect.
Although they are tough enough to be walked in occasionally, these plants are not hard wearing so are not suitable for children's play areas or high traffic walkways.
Try subphylum or choose the non flowering chamomile variety.
If you are short of inspiration or cannot find a solution to a particular problem in your garden, do not be shy of being inspired by others and adapting their ideas to fit your circumstances.
After all, it is what the professionals do all the time.
Look at magazines and books to help decide which style appeals to you most.
Also collect pictures of features that you like when you are reading magazines, and take pictures of your own when you visit other people's gardens and gardening shows.
Note down any plant combinations that catch your eye, they may well come in useful later on.