Grow Your Own Magazine

Hope this is the right place for this question. I would like an area on the allotment to lounge about on but dont want to have grass. I would prefer a slow growing (perhaps dwarf?) herb which is nice smelling and only needs cutting only once in a blue moon. Has anyone any suggestions? How would I go about this? Eg, seed or plants? Any ideas would be a great help. Ta.

Chamomile is the classic herb for "lawns". Don't know if you can grow from seed, but it spreads quite well so small plants at reasonable spacing should work.

In times gone by(Elizabethan era methinks?) lawns wern't grass but were Camomile. Camomile is usually grown from plantlets I think but is very labour intensive to keep weed free!
I know an allotment holder who had a Camomile seat. Basically any box structure made from stone, brick or even wood. Fill with soil and plant Camomile on the top. When crushed by the posterior it lets out a wonderful scent.
I have grown it before, but only as a herb as you can make Camomile tea from it!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

You use a non-flowering type - I think it's called Treneague - so you couldn't grow it from seed. As Snadger says, camomile for lawns is grown vegitatively. In Japanese gardens they use moss. Nil mowing! I've also had an area in our old garden which was planted with mind-your-on-business - Soleirolia solerolii I think it's called - if you take a small plant in a pot and break it up into small bit and dib each bit in they've very soon mat over. You might have a problem keeping it away from everywhere else though!

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vegheaven.blogspot.comUpdated July 1st 2008

I found this site ( they use flowering chamomile)

http://www.pfaf.org/leaflets/ediblawn.php

I like the idea of yarrow best.
You see it all over in the wild and as a lawn would need very little care. Nice and soft underfoot too!

Ooo this sounds like a lovely idea....

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

How about creeping thyme? Heard they're pretty low maintenance, no mowing, not much watering or care and can tolerate being walked on. They have lovely flowers too, smothering the whole of ground area. I don't know this for sure but they might give off nice fragrance when walked on. I had thought of having this for a shaded and narrow walkway not wide enough for lawnmower. The other option I had thought of was moss.

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Food for Free

Mind your own business is a pain in the a**e. I've got it in my borders and it's taking over.

I had it in a small area surrounded by pavers - too small to mow, wrong area for bigger plants. It served its purpose.

Thyme smells much nicer than camomile in my opinion. I quite fancy that idea.

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Some days you're the statue, some days you're the pigeon!

vegheaven.blogspot.comUpdated July 1st 2008

Thanks all, for the advice. I'll mull it all over . MURRAY

MMmmm thyme every thyme!

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Imagination is everything, it is a preview of what is to become.