how to fill up backyard lawn

[Zen Peddler]

I have a massive steep block that at the back is just grass and trees that needs constant mowing and its a pain. I want to cut down on 9 hour mowing Saturdays and I'm looking for ideas. Want to fill it up or something... Any ideas peeps?

[Dreamwalker.]

kune kune's great lawn mowers

or.....................one of these will eat more than a sheep.....................and you get free eggs in the spring..........................and wait there.s more.........good watch dogs

Edited March 17, 2014 by Dreamwalker

[Halcyon Daze]

Fill it with native trees (gums etc). The less sunlight the grass gets, the slower it'll grow.

You could also fence off a big area and keep a goat and chooks inside.

It's a good idea to terrace sloped ground, just use quarry rocks.

Why not build a massive cacti and succulent garden while you're at it.

Depending on your local climate/conditions, you could build a permaculture paradise.

Hell, what COULDN'T you do with a nice sloped piece of land.

Edited January 30, 2014 by Halcyon Daze

[bullit]

let it grow

[Anodyne]

Rip up the grass and replace it with stuff that doesn't need mowing, like...

*Native violets (Viola hederacea) - grow in sun or shade, they spread by runners and so get a bit invasive but that's kinda what you want in a groundcover anyway.

*Chamomile - this probably will actually need mowing at some point when/after it flowers, but it smells a helluva lot better than grass (the leaves smell like apples!), and you can make tea or shampoo or whatever out of the flowers.

*Thymes - there are endless varieties that smell like lemon or caraway or whatever, probably only good for small areas, but a fairly pleasant thing to plant around trees & rocks & the like so you don't need to do any edge-mowing

*Dichondra - quite attractive, doesn't need mowing, and it's commonly used so you can buy bulk seed from places like Diggers and Bunnings

I'm slowly replacing the small lawn at my place with various things including:

*Selaginellas - yes I know they're pests, but they're pretty and can't escape from my yard easily.

*Rocks - suiseki! (it's like bonsai, but with rocks)

*Convulvaceae - they are total weeds that are great at keeping down other weeds that I like less

*A nest - made from feathers and pine needles. The needles are allelopathic and stop weed seeds from germinating. Also I wanted somewhere nice to sit.

Edited January 30, 2014 by Anodyne

[Zen Peddler]

Main problem is its half an acre so alone its a huge job. I'm even thinking of advertising for people to use it productively and then give us some of the produce or something? Main issue with sheep is that my stupid kelpie would hassle them all day. Wish id bought a cow instead of a dog sometimes... Sorry meika...

[Zen Peddler]

Its basically in a eycalypt forest and is quite shady yet the grass grows constantly. Was thinking of planting 40 raspberry trees maybe??

[Halcyon Daze]

Taht's a good idea. let some poor hippie plant a few trees and have a little corner where he can find solitude. Be careful you don't lose it to squatter's rights.

[C_T]

plant permaculture approved things, so it becomes a self sustaining food forest.

its 99% planning and 1% hard work. although in the first bit will be alot of work planting etc.

[simhanada]

I'm not sure what area you're in but if you want some help (and are prepared to offer some) you could join a permablitz crew if there is one near you.

http://www.permablitz.net/regional-groups

[incognito]

U could get two poddy calves then sell them when they are bigger for a grand or so each orrrr buy a ride-on with a stubby holder attatched

[Stillman]

fence it and get goats there will be no grass or possibly trees in a fortnight.. there is a good market for goats meat milk and wool and they are pretty much indestructible. if you go meat make sure to spend a few dollars on good boar goat genetics.

[Zen Peddler]

Thanks guys good ideas. Too steep for a ride on.