Back garden advice needed...

[Julia]

I have quite a small back garden, 2 thirds of which is grass (I use the term loosely, it's mostly mud). I would like to lose the grassy area altogether but I am not sure what to use instead. Gravel is too messy. The other third is concrete. The ground is very wet. I'm looking for ideas that would be easy to maintain and keep clean but on the other hand not cost too much.

[111heather]

how about paveing slabs i did my back garden we them cost us £80 for about 40 o them from the place up newton

[lady penelope]

In our old garden we had 2x2 paving slabs. They were non slip and easy to clean, they were bedded in sand rather than concrete as the drainage wasn't brilliant so any water drained into the sand and not sit on the slabs. You can get them in lovely colours and can sometimes pick up 'seconds' that might be a bit cheaper.

[Mik.M.]

Paving slabs are ideal but another idea i've seen used is decking made out of reclaimed pallets (you'd have to anchor them down 'cos of the caithness weather).

[justine]

HI.Have you thought of using bark.It is highly absorbant, lasts long and it is envioromentaly friendly. It is hardy..I have used it to do my driveway.It also makes it handy if you want to plant any small plants for show...I would advise putting gravel underneath, so the water has drainage...Hope this helps...

[Ash]

we are doing our garden, and have decided on crazy paving, its cheap and easy to clean and looks nicer than just concreting the whole of the garden, i know someone who used bark and now regrets it as it can smell when wet and can be messy

[justine]

we are doing our garden, and have decided on crazy paving, its cheap and easy to clean and looks nicer than just concreting the whole of the garden, i know someone who used bark and now regrets it as it can smell when wet and can be messy

If the bark is sitting on the soil or any other mass it can smell, but if you gravel unsderneath a good two inches then it should not smell bad ....You should get the natural smell of a wooded area.....

[Julia]

Don't fancy bark, the dogs would drag it indoors on their paws, I used to have it at the last address and to be honest about 50% of it blew away LOL. I think I will go for gravel after all, if I use a decent enough edging material it should not spill over onto the pathways.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Dog-eared]

I used woodchippings from Dunnett forest for a chicken pen , and put landscaping fabric down first, but it composts away to nothing in two years. I'm going to redo it in stone chippings.

[unicorn]

If you get 3/4 inch gravel it makes very little mess as it is way larger.

[Tilter]

I have quite a small back garden, 2 thirds of which is grass (I use the term loosely, it's mostly mud). I would like to lose the grassy area altogether but I am not sure what to use instead. Gravel is too messy. The other third is concrete.

Hi, can't you live with the grass? So it's muddy in winter. So is ours in winter (especially as it's a dog run out back) but in summer it's fine and for how long do you actually look at it in winter? The alternatives are worse (imho) as gravel is messy, as you say, concrete eventually cracks and weeds grow throught it, tarmac ditto, paving slabs you have to keep weedkilling the cracks, bark you have to replace every couple of years at great expense. I'd live with the grass. Plus it's the easiest (do nothing) option. Liven it up with shrubs round the edges maybe to make for less grass? Especially berry-bearing evergreen shrubs maybe.