# 2 q



## fun in the sun (Nov 8, 2014)

does anyone know if grass lawns are high maintenance in spain..because in order to have a good healthy looking lawn id imagine it would need a sprinkler system installed..therefore i might just consider shingle for my house. and does anyone know or have links to campervan car rental in valencia areas


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

fun in the sun said:


> does anyone know if grass lawns are high maintenance in spain..because in order to have a good healthy looking lawn id imagine it would need a sprinkler system installed..therefore i might just consider shingle for my house. and does anyone know or have links to campervan car rental in valencia areas


Lawns need large quantities of water and are not indigenous to most places south of Madrid. Many areas have severe problems with water supplies and are not helped by the little foresight politicians and town planners have, allowing golf developments and swimming pools to be built in large numbers


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Lawns need large quantities of water and are not indigenous to most places south of Madrid. Many areas have severe problems with water supplies and are not helped by the little foresight politicians and town planners have, allowing golf developments and swimming pools to be built in large numbers


Hola

Sorry but that´s rubbish - the problem is people´s idea of a lawn. I have 1,500 sq metres of garden "laid to lawn". Grammon is the type of grass I have and I´m still mowing it even at this time of year. 

Davexf


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

davexf said:


> Hola
> 
> Sorry but that´s rubbish - the problem is people´s idea of a lawn. I have 1,500 sq metres of garden "laid to lawn". Grammon is the type of grass I have and* I´m still mowing it even at this time of year. *
> 
> Davexf


... which is a very good reason for not having a lawn.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

davexf said:


> Hola
> 
> Sorry but that´s rubbish - the problem is people´s idea of a lawn. I have 1,500 sq metres of garden "laid to lawn". Grammon is the type of grass I have and I´m still mowing it even at this time of year.
> 
> Davexf


 No, it's not rubbish, but saying it is is insulting!

Don't you need to water Grammon grass then?


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> No, it's not rubbish, but saying it is is insulting!
> 
> Don't you need to water Grammon grass then?


No I don't water it 

Davexf


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

davexf said:


> No I don't water it
> 
> Davexf


That's amazing!
So I'm just wondering why this grass isn't used all over the drought ridden areas of Spain? Or the Sahara come to that?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Ohhh, I've just seen what gramón is, and we consider it a weed. In fact we put down gravel in our back garden and pull up the gramón that still comes through as it's almost an invasive plant and difficult to get rid of, so you're right, it depends what people´s idea of a lawn is. We did water the the garden in the summer when we had it though, and the water we now save is considerable.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

We have a very small lawn that's made up of grammon. We installed a sprinkling system on our own and it wasn't complcated to do. We only have to use it in July, August and part of September, and we run it for 3 minutes every other day. Our water bill barely wavers. Mind you it's a very small patch of lawn, but I can assure you that grammon needs very little water to survive and thrive. It's what all our neighbors have for their lawns.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

Watering, weeding, feeding, mowing, scarifying, top-dressing, moss removal...who wants the work that a lawn generates? I don't ever want one again! Even a 'field' needs attention some of the time, a lawn - think green sward - costs time and money, and don't I know it.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Madliz said:


> Watering, weeding, feeding, mowing, scarifying, top-dressing, moss removal...who wants the work that a lawn generates? I don't ever want one again! Even a 'field' needs attention some of the time, a lawn - think green sward - costs time and money, and don't I know it.


Well, we have a large double plot, over three-quarters of which is grass. I wouldn't dignify it with the title 'lawn' as it's mainly clover and that tough rye grass. 
We are happy with it as it's great for the dogs and we like 'strolling round the grounds' at night but it certainly costs to maintain even that somewhat sorry patch of verdure.
No way could we mow it ourselves without needing a week in a rest home afterwards so we have a gardener who drives our traktor thingy around once a month or so as part of his duties even at this time of year. Then in summer we need to irrigate...even watering as sparingly as possible, just enough to keep a pale green hue overall, gave a water bill of almost 900 euros for the two summer quarters.
So yes, it is high-maintenance but ultimately the decision comes down to cost, aestheticism and in our case, dogs.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

There are loads of drought resistant grasses around, yes they still need some attention but not as much as some people would think.
The amount of water wasted here because the landlord has their own system is astonishing, it's a waste but then I'd rather have the landlord happy than be stung once we move out.

If water is cheap where you are then research a good drought resistant strain, check some Aussie website as we are used to water restrictions and long hot summers.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

You really can't beat a well manicured, English lawn (IMHO)!


As there is no way to get one here in Spain, I'll stick to the traditional Spanish style of chippings everywhere (or just rough fields).


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

Setting seed for a lawn in southern Spain is like installing an expensive water sprinkler to continuously spray fake rain over your house in the UK.

Trust me, you don't need to be maintaining a lawn in the heat of southern Spain.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> You really can't beat a well manicured, English lawn (IMHO)!
> 
> 
> As there is no way to get one here in Spain, I'll stick to the traditional Spanish style of chippings everywhere (or just rough fields).


I don't know, I'd say ours is pretty close and I have seen some others on our visits. Green and lush all year.

If it was mine I would do things differently for sure but then again I prefer things a bit more wild than manicured. The only things that annoy me more in a garden than neat and tidy are stones and concrete.


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## fcexpat (Sep 25, 2014)

Just a thought, we live in the Nerja area now but we spent four years in the Caribbean. The house over there had masses of grass. Kentucky blue grass doesn't die in the dry season, it goes dormant. When the rain does come you can literally watch it going green again. This strain of grass I would think is available everywhere, I know it is in England so I presume Spain also !!


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## Gareth54 (Nov 8, 2014)

Or lay an artificial grass mat down, no watering, no mowing and always stays the original colour. No idea on the cost but it's a one time investment with a ?? year guarantee.


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## fun in the sun (Nov 8, 2014)

cheers folks..i think a lawns not a good idea. wasting cash on watering and other kinds of maintenance. i did think of astro turf but it might look very tacky and sad. think shingle is probably the best option cheap and very simple and looks lovely to the eye. who rekons on shingle.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

fun in the sun said:


> cheers folks..i think a lawns not a good idea. wasting cash on watering and other kinds of maintenance. i did think of astro turf but it might look very tacky and sad. think shingle is probably the best option cheap and very simple and looks lovely to the eye. who rekons on shingle.


Me.

Astro turf gets dusty and hot


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Me.
> 
> Astro turf gets dusty and hot


... and has a funny smell in the heat

Jo xxx


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

fun in the sun said:


> cheers folks..i think a lawns not a good idea. wasting cash on watering and other kinds of maintenance. i did think of astro turf but it might look very tacky and sad. think shingle is probably the best option cheap and very simple and looks lovely to the eye. who rekons on shingle.


Not nice to walk on though, and you'll still have to weed it. It's also a complete pain to get rid of if you change your mind. Why not tile it and leave a few gaps for trees and shrubs?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

davexf said:


> Hola
> 
> Sorry but that´s rubbish - the problem is people´s idea of a lawn. I have 1,500 sq metres of garden "laid to lawn". Grammon is the type of grass I have and I´m still mowing it even at this time of year.
> 
> Davexf


I can get you a couple of goats, just say the word.


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