Garden

UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES,
DHARWAD
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, BIJAPUR
The Different Features Of Gardening
HRT-301 :-Vegetables & Ornamental Horticulture
Course Teacher:Dr.A.N.Bagali
Prepared by
5472-Dhanya A J
5474-Divyashree M S
5475-Dona Scaria
5480-Heena Kousar
5481-Jyoti Kumari
5484-Latheefabi P
(2+1)

1.Garden walls.
2.Fencing.
3.Steps.
4.Garden drives and paths.
5.Hedge
6.Edging.
7.Arches.
8.Pergolas.
9.Terraces and Terrace gardening.
10.Paved garden.
11.Dry wall.
12.Lawn etc
The different features of gardening are:

GARDEN WALLS
A garden lover will never like to
block the view of his garden by
putting a wall along its
periphery. But, sometimes,
from safety or beauty point of
view(e.g.:-to obscure the ugly
sight of an open drain),it may
be necessary to erect a brick,
concrete, or stone wall along
the periphery of the garden.

A garden as it is enjoyed from inside should also be
visible from outside.
A compromise is to have low brick wall of say 60-90cm
height and to put over it some grills, so that the view is
not totally obscured from outside.

Walls from 1.80 to 5 m may
also be erected depending
upon the size the garden.
To break the
drabness of a
concrete or brick
wall, at least in the
more prominent
places, one may
grow creepers such
as Ficus repens over
the wall.

Garden Walls
(On the Beauty point of view)

FENCING
Fences are a utility item
essentially needed for making
the boundary and for protection.
It is also to put to separate one
part of the garden from the
other.
Materials used- wood, bamboo,
wire, wire nettings, and chain.
Fences of wood and bamboo
gets spoiled quicker than other
fences.
WOOD FENCES

The simplest wire fencing
will be to put stout
wooden posts at 3m
distance & pass the wires
through these post starting
from 22.5cm intervals at
ground level to 30cm
upwards up to a height of
1.8m. These posts are
embedded at least 45-60cm
in the ground the wires are
stretched with the poles
with strong staples or
clamps.Wire Fence

Chain-Link Fence
Wire netting fence is cheaper than the chain-link fence
but is less durable. Wire netting can keep away the
rabbits, provided the netting is buried at least 22.5cm
in the soil & turned outward at the bottom to stop
burrowing.

STEPS
Steps are necessary
when a path goes
from one to the other.
Usually steps are
made with the same
material which are
used for the path.
Materials used -
concrete, stone,
wood, or gravel
Stone Steps

Concrete Step
The steps in the garden
should be different than
those in the building.
The stepping should be quite
board & the risers low, so
that people can have an
easier climb. A garden is
meant for leisure, pleasure,
& comfort & hence steep and
narrow steps are unsuitable
as they cause discomfort in
climbing.

GARDEN DRIVES AND PATHS
A garden must have a carriage
drive leading to the house and
the garage besides several
other paths.
The main criterion of a good
garden drive or path is to
provide a flat, dry, & pleasant
passage for the persons or
vehicles.
A path with graceful & gentle
curves will look much better
than a straight path.

DRIVES
a)Gravel Drives
A gravel drive should be given
adequate foundation to
prevent it from sinking. The
soil is excavated to a depth of
about 30cm but in heavy
clayey soil this should be a
little more to ensure proper
drainage.
About 1/3 to ½ of the excavated depth is filled up with
rough stones, brick pieces, clinkers, or any other hard
material. Water is poured and the roller is applied. The
remaining excavated part is filled with coarse gravel
mixed with a little earth & rolled.

A depth of 5 to 7.5cm of
fine gravel is spread over
this, sprinkled with
water, & rolled heavily.
The surface should be a
little higher at the centre
& slopping to the sides.
At the time of digging all
roots and runners of
grass should be removed
to keep the drive weed
free.

b)Asphalt or Concrete Drives
For this also the foundation is
prepared in the same manner
& on the top of it either
asphalt or concrete is laid. A
layer of 5cm concrete is
enough for most roads. For
long roads a slope of 1:100
may be allowed for drainage.
All the road should be little
higher than the surrounding
ground. The width of the
garden roads should be about
3-5m.

PATHS
The principles of
construction of garden
paths are the same as for
drivers but since these
are narrow and not
meant for heavy traffic,
the foundation need not
be so deep. The
excavation will vary from
15-22.5cm, depending
upon the nature of the
soil.
A garden path should never be less than 60cm wide but
should be preferably between 90-120cm.

a)Gravel Paths
These are made in the same way as gravel
drivers, except that the excavation &
foundation material will be less.

b)Bricks Paths
The foundation of a brick path is made in the same
way as that of a gravel path but leaving a gap on the
top of about 5-7cm for ashes or lime mortar & the
depth of the brick to be laid. The bricks chosen
should be strong to withstand wear and tear,
especially from frost and rain. If the bricks are laid
below the ground level no cement will be needed to
join them. Many patterns can be woven such as
herring-bone or basket patterns. The interspaces
between the bricks are tightly packed with sand or
if need be with lime mortar.

c)Stone Paving
This is more popular, especially
where stone slabs are easily
available, as these are permanent
and impart an air of quality. The
stones should be 3-5cm thick &
rectangular in shape. The
foundation is made in the same
manner as for gravel path. Over
this a layer of 5-7cm of ashes,
topped by fine sand, is placed &
leveled. To make the path
permanent, instead of ash, 5cm of
cement mortar is used.

d)Crazy Paving
In this stones of different sizes & irregular shapes
are used. Stones used here will be thinner(2-
3.5cm). The foundation is made in the similar
manner. Over this hard core about 2.5cm layer of
fine sand or ash is put, levelled properly, & the
paving is laid firmly, to make it permanent the
paving should be bedded over 2.5cm cement
mortar. The interstices, when cement is not used,
are filled with good sandy loam soil so that some
rocky plants can be grown here.

e)Grass Paths
It is necessary to have a hard surface for paths
which are subject to heavy wear and tear. But if a
path is needed for only morning and evening walk,
the most desirable and attractive will be a grass
path. Paving stones are placed at 60cm intervals in
single row just below the ground level at the places
where the maximum usage will be. This will give a
stepping stone effect. Alternatively, groups of 2 or 3
bricks may also be used.
Under the climatic conditions of the Indian plains,
doob grass will be best suited.

HEDGES
Shrubs or trees planted at regular intervals to form a
continuous screen is called a hedge. The plants such as
succulents, cactus, and sub-shrubs form beautiful and useful
hedges.
PURPOSE: A hedge serves many purposes.
• A garden hedge can serve the purpose of a compound wall.
• Give shelter from strong gale.
• Ensure privacy, i.e., serve the purpose of a screen.
• Form a background for a floral display such as herbaceous
border.
• As a part of the garden on its own merit.
• Separate one component of a garden from the other.

• screen the ugly and unwanted spots such as
manure pits, lavatory, servants quarters, etc., in
the garden.
• Though hedge is a useful component the garden
it should not be overdone, specially in a small
garden, by encircling every tree in the garden
with a hedge or lining all the paths with hedges.
• Acalypha spp

• Overcrowding of hedges also robs other plants in the
garden with valuable soil nutrients, sunshine, and air.
• In a very small garden, one
should avoid putting any
hedge, but instead can put
a descent-looking fence on
which some light climbers
may be trained.
• Ornamental hedges are
used to a rose garden or a
flower bed or a shrubbery
or paths in the garden.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING A
HEDGE PLANT
In a garden hedge is planted with two motives:
1) Protective: which means protection against theft,
trespass, wind, etc.,
2) For ornamental purpose or screening.
• For the first category a hedge plant should be quick
growing, hardy, drought resistant, thorny, dense,
should response to frequent pruning and clipping and
can be raised quickly by seeds or cuttings.
• Ornamental hedge should have attractive foliage &
flowers, should be dense in growth habit, & stand
regular clipping. The ornamental hedges are generally
low in height and they do not obstruct the view
completely since the other portion is visible over the
hedge.

How to start a hedge
• An ideal hedge is that which makes uniform
dense growth from base to top. To achieve this
objective, each plant in the entire length of the
edge should get more or less uniform supply of
water, essential elements and sun shine.
• After the uniformity in three factors is ensured,
one should next proceed to prepare the land.
• In a hedge the plants are spaced much closer
than they would have been for any other
purpose.
• The preparation of the site is under taken by
digging a trench of 30 to 90 cm wide and 30-75
cm deep, depending upon the type of hedge.

• The heavier the hedge the wider is the digging.
• Uniformity in digging is to ensured as variation in
digging will result in the fluctuation of growth of
the shrubs at the cost of symmetry and neatness.
• Deep digging also encourages the plants to root
deeply and prevent sending less number of
laterals to compete with plants growing with the
hedge.
• A moderate dose of F.Y.M. is added at the middle
layers.
• If the manure is spread over the top layer, it may
attract white –ants also.
• Once a hedge is raised it can be maintained 30-40
years.

Under Indian condition
• The planting of hedge is undertaken at the
beginning of the monsoon in June to July.
• A hedge is started by sowing seeds or by putting
cuttings in-situ or by planting rooted cuttings
generally in double rows.
• The spacing will depend upon the nature of
growth of the plant in the hedge.
• Trees such as putranjiva roxburghii & polyalthia
longifolia may be planted 75-90 cm apart.
• The spacing of shrubs will vary from 15-45 or 60
cm.

• If planted in double rows should spaced from 15-45
cm, if the seeds or cuttings are planted 15-60 cm apart
in staggered manner.
• Double rows are put when a dense hedge is needed.
• Ample watering space, about 10 cm deep should be
left.
• When the hedge is about 15-25 cm tall it is topped
back to 10 cm with garden shears.
• Heading back should not be delayed to achieve quick
growth.
• The lateral growth should also be topped in the same
way which in turn produces more laterals & again the
procedure is repeated, until a dense growth is
obtained.
• To obtain a cattle-proof hedge, the hedge should be
reinforced by three-four rows of barbed wire as the
hedge itself may not be sufficient.

Maintenance
 Hedges do not like weed growth, hence weeds should
be uproot.
 Deep irrigation is provided once in a week depending
on weather conditions.
 In white ants infested localities the soil should be kept
continuously moist as white ants do not like wet
conditions.
Clipping and pruning of hedges are most important to
keep the hedges neat and in good shape.
• Manuring: once in a year the hedge should receive,
before the rains, well rotten cow-dung or horse manure
at the rate of 4 kg/running mt. It should be well
incarporated into the soil. Fertilizers can also be added
twice in a year.

Selection of suitable
plants
There is a wide variety of trees, shrubs and
other plants which can be formed into hedges.
1) Palms as a hedge 2) Tree as a hedge
3) Conifers as hedge 4) Shrubs for a hedge
5)Cactus, succulents and others as a hedge

1) Palms as a hedge: some palms form into beautiful
ornamental hedge. A few of these are listed below:
Areca lutescens, Ptychosperma macarthurii, Rhapis
excels

Grevillea
2) Tree as a hedge: Acacia farnesiana & some other acacias
form a good thorny hedges in a dry localities. This plant
should be pruned regularly to keep it thick & dwarf. Seeds are
sown 30 cm apart. E.g., Erythrina, Grevillea robustta, Inga
dulcis, Pongamia glabra, Thevetia nerifolia.

• 3)Conifers as hedge: Casuarina equisetifolia it should
be prune before it forms a woody trunk. It can also cut
to a square top. Cryptomeria japonica: It forms a good
hedge on a high hills. Trees are generally planted 60-90
cm apart in a hedge.
Casuarina spp

• 4)Shrubs for a hedge: ACalypha,Araiia, Barleria,
Bougainvillea, Clerodendron enerme, Eranthemum,
Lantana, Hibiscus, Bauhinia acuminita, Murrya
hexotica, Tecoma stans

Agave
• 5)Cactus, succulents and others as a hedge: Agave
Americana, Bambusa, Euphorbia bojeri, Euphorbia
tetragona, Euphorbia splendens, Opuntia, Pandanus.
Cactus when used as a hedge outgrows in a size and
should not be used for Home gardens.

EDGING
• Lining of borders of flower beds,paths,lawn
and shrubbery with bricks,concrete,living
plants etc.
• Edging may be formal, made of
stones,bricks,tiles etc.
• Informal,consisting of living plants.

FORMAL EDGING
• Edges are made of bricks,tiles,concrete etc.
• All conventional formal English gardens used to have
edgings of bricks or tiles diagonally placed along
roads,paths and flower beds.
• It is desirable that the practice of edging should not
be used too often.

• Bricks:The most commonly used material for edging.
The bricks selected should be of good quality so that
it does not crumble down easily.
• Tiles:These are quite suitable for edging.It is much
more difficult to keep the allignment of tiles than
that of bricks. It will be better to fix the tiles with
cement mortar.
• Stones:Stone edging should have nice rounded
finish.
• Concrete:Concrete edgings with rounded tops look
quite attractive.

INFORMAL EDGING
• Edges are made of living plants, these plants are
called as edge plants.
• Edging of plants is very good,provided these are kept
low and maintained by proper trimming.
• Grasses,foliage and flowering plants are used for
edging.

• The foliage plants used for edging are
Alternanthera,Coleus,Aerva
sanguinolenta,Eupatorium
cannabinum,Iresine etc.
• The flowering plants used are
Alyssum,Amaryllis,Gerbera,Torenia etc.
Alternanthera:The most commonly used
herbaceous plant for edging

ARCHES
• A garden may need some arches for training climbers
and ramblers.
• Usually constructed near the gate or over paths in
the garden.
• An arch should have at least 2 to 2.5m ht. and
breadth should not be less than 1m.
• A general rule is to have the same width as the
height provided.

• Over the poles longitudinal rails are placed and cross
rails are fixed over these at intervals of 45-60 cm.
• The roof may be of wood or angle iron of suitable
section.
• Galvanized wire nettings may be fixed on the sides of
the arches to help the creepers to climb up.
• The portions above the ground should be painted.

• For growing creepers in a row pergolas are ideal
structures on which these may be planted
• A pergola may be defined as a series of arches
joined together.
• Pergolas are generally constructed over
pathways, which add beauty to a garden. Like
arches the support can be made of wooden or
stone or brick pillars, angle iron and G. I. pipe.
• The roof may be made of angle irons of different
sections with longitudinal and cross rails.
PERGOLAS

• Over this base strong galvanized wire-mesh or
welded mesh may be placed for creepers to
spread easily.
• The width of pergolas is kept generally within
2-2.5m and the height is also the same but
preferably on the higher side.
• The width may decreased or increased little if
necessary.
• The length will depend upon the area to be
covered, the number or creepers available, &
of course, the budget.

• The roof of a pergola may be flat or in the shape
of an arch. As in the case of an arch, the pergola
is also painted green to merge with the colour of
the foliage.
• A pergola is a useful resting place during the
summer months in a tropical country
• The path below remains cool due to the creepers
growing above. If the pergola is wide enough
concrete or wooden benches may be constructed
for sitting.
• In broad pergolas it may be possible to keep a
few shade loving plants to protect them against
sun, but this not be desirable all the time

TERRACES AND TERRACE
GARDENING
• In hilly tracts it is not possible to have a large
piece of land in one plane for laying a garden
& hence gardens are laid in terraces, where it
is a natural phenomenon but, in the plains of
India, the land for gardening may not have any
natural undulation for terracing.
• Actually it is a common feature in the English
or Japanese gardens to construct a part or a
major portion of the garden in terraces

• Where natural undulation is there it is not very
expensive to create the terraces, but in a plain
land it will be little expensive to create one.
• In European weather, where sun shine is in great
demand, the terraces is best situated in front of
the house where the inhabitant can bask in the
sun and enjoy the full view of the garden.
• Under our climatic conditions in the plains also,
the same principle may be followed but the
terrace should not be preferably situated on the
western side as it will prevent the inhabitants
from relaxing in the afternoon because of the hot
sun.

• A terrace may also be constructed in other parts of the
garden, say in front of a boundary wall or a dry wall.
• A terrace should not look out of place but form a natural link
between the two & should give a full view of the garden.
• It is advisable to make the terrace about 45 cm above the
general level of the garden supported by a retaining wall or a
bank, preferably made of stone blocks.
• It is not necessary to have a straight outline or to locate the
steps in the centre.
• Ample space should be provided to utilize it as a sitting place.
• The major portion of the terrace may be paved with stone or
brick, but before doing this space should be left for small
flower beds or for creepers to climb on house walls, if there is
an plan for these.
• Whenever extra soil has been added to construct the terrace,
it should be made firm and allow to settle before paving is
done.

Terrace gardening: A terrace is raised space of
ground constructed around a dwelling house or
at the corner of a garden or on the sides of a hill,
when this terrace is used for some sort of
gardening this is known as terrace gardening.
• This type of garden basically meant for a place of
leisure & pleasure.
• A terrace garden is generally constructed just in
front of the house from where a view of whole
garden can be obtained, but this can also be
constructed in any other corner of garden from
where a clear view can be obtained.

• Since a terrace is used as outdoor living room for
relaxing, the area should always be nearly dry under
the foot.
• For this particular region, most people favour a pave
terrace. But grass is also suitable for terrace gardens
which hardly receives rough usage.
• Whenever a paving is done first a hard foundation is
made over which a paving in laid.
• Planting : planting in the terrace should be done
after much thought & planning. First, it is to be
decided if the whole area will be paved or some
portions will be left out for lawns, beds, planting of
one or two specimen trees & creepers for training
over the house walls.

• As a general principle, the paved surface itself should
have very little plant growth.
• Wide joints of pavings allow more growth of grass
which is difficult to clip & require more time in
maintenance than narrow unplanted joints.
• Moreover, such joints are hazards for the ankles of
playing children as well as adults.
• Too many creeping plants in joints restrict the
movement & reduces the sitting space which is the
primary necessity in a terrace garden. Only a few low
growing creeping plants such as portulaca, lantana
sellowiana for the tropics & thymus serpyllum &
veronica repens for the temperate region can be
recommended for planting in wider joints.

• But all such plants should be used with discretion
to keep the terrace free from hindrance to
comfortable use.
• Some small specimen dwarf trees or shrubs can
be planted amidst grass in the circular,
rectangular or square beds left out.
• In no case the plants should obstruct vision and
screen the architecture of the house being seen
from outside.
• Hanging baskets can also be displayed in the
terrace.
• A lily pool may not be out of place in a paved
terrace. A sundial or birdbath or a stone sculpture
may also be constructed in a suitable corner.

Paved gardens
• A paved garden, is properly laid, can be a vey
attractive feature of a garden.
• There are some specific plants which adopt
themselves well to a paved garden.
• These should be dwarf in nature & stand a
considerable amount of wear & tear from shoes
of different weights.
• But a paved garden should be laid in a path which
is not used very often.
• A special paved garden may also be created if a
path suitable for this is not available.

• Ordinarily a paved garden is meant for walking,
although not very frequently, & hence the interstices
of the paved garden should be planted sparingly.
• The foundation of paved garden should be prepared in
the same manner as for an ordinary pathway.
• After the foundation laid, a good soil, preferably of
lighter texture, is laid to a depth of about 10 cm.
Before laying the stones over this, 2-3 weeks time
should be given to the soil to settle.
• The stones selected should not be less than 25 cm in
diameter, otherwise the paved garden looks clumsy.
• For the paths, rectangular stones are more suitable,
where as for circles & squares irregular stones of any
shape or size can be used.
• Between two stones gaps of about 4-8 cm are left &
the stones are laid in an informal pattern.

• When the sides are supported by stones, the
plants grown to cover these are allowed to grow
a little inside the paved garden in an informal
manner to give a more natural effect.
• Planting should be done with direction & over
planting should be avoided.
• A dense planting will look unnatural & will have
very little appeal.
• In a sparsely planted paved garden even the
worst clumsy visitor will be able to avoid
tramping of a plant in flower.

Some of the plants suitable for paved
garden are listed below
• Achillea rupestris, A. tomentosa
• Alyssum montanam
• Dianthus deltoides
• Geranium pylzowianum
• Gypsophila repens
• Hymenatherum tenuifolium
• Lantana sellowiana
• Portulaca
• Zebrina pendula
• Winca rosea
• Zinnia linearis
• Setereasea pallida & S. purpuria .

DRY WALL
• The term Dry wall is rather a misnomer, as a wall
may be dry but once the plants are planted over
it, it no more remain dry but becomes an object
of beauty.
• The garden laid on a wall or walls planted with
different plants are termed as dry wall
• The dry walls are generally retention walls, with
only one surface available for gardening or
planting while the other side is supported
against the vertical or near-vertical face of two
different levels of landscape

DRY RETAINING STONE WALL WITH A PATIO AND POND

• Construction of the wall in most parts of the
plains should start just before the rainy
season. The aim is to coincide construction
with planting since the rainy season in the
plains of India is the best time for planting.
•
Three methods of constructing a dry wall-
A. Laid independently
B. Laid against vertical
C. Laid near-vertical surface
between two
different levels of land

DOUBLE FACED DRY WALL
SINGLE FACED DRY WALL

• The stones used for a dry wall should be natural stones, either
limestone or sandstone.
• In the first layer, no gap is left between the stones.
• The vertical gaps between two large stones should be about 5-8cm,
while the gap will reduce proportionately with the smaller-sized
stones.
• The horizontal gaps between two stones will be about 2-3cm. The
horizontal gaps are filled in with soil and firmy rammed.
• Any gap between the back of the wall and the vertical gap is also
filled in and rammed.
• Any air pocket left in any of the gaps will not only weaken the wall
structurally but will also be a cause for drying out of the plant roots
due to lack of moisture.
• After the first layer is completed, the second layer is started, taking
care that the vertical gap in this layer is placed above the centre or as
close to the centre as possible of the stone below this.
• A 15 cm layer of good compost is placed on top and firmed .This bed
is utilised for planting perennial plants

LAYERS OF STONES IN DRYWALLS IN DIFFERENT DIRECTION

• The plants suitable for dry wall are listed below.
Ageratum,sweet alyssum, Bellis perennis (suitable for
cool climate), Brachycome in various colours, Gilia sp
, Mirabilis sp, Oxalis sp, Verbena(perennial and
annual).
• Some ferns and other plants are very useful as they
give natural effect to the wall.
• The ferns suitable for dry wall are: Adiantanum
caudatum, A. philippiense, A. venuatum, Asplenium
compressum, Polystichum sp, Lycopodiums
• As already stated, miniature roses and some other
small herbaceous plants can also be grown on the top
of the wall.

A lawn with its surrounding garden is considered
an ‘outdoor living room’. The living room
should, therefore, be kept neat and nice.

LAWN
• lawn is a Heart of garden . It is centre piece around
which all other garden elements are placed in
subordinate order like royal court where the king
occupies the central position
• Lawn can be defined as the green carpet for a
landscape or can be defined as a piece of land thickly
covered with uniformly green, soft grass.
• It is a basic feature for home ground development and
an essential feature for any other type of garden. In a
home garden a lawn improves the appearance of the
house, enhances its beauty, increases conveniences and
usefulness thus adding monestry value to the real
estate
• The lawn provides a perfect setting for a flower bed, a
border, a shrubbery or a specimen tree or a shrub.

LAWNS WITH BEAUTIFUL BED WITH FLOWERS

SITE FOR LAWN
• It is not always possible to get the best site one would like
to choose for the lawn.
• But a few points should be kept in mind before selecting
a site.
• Grass does not grow under shade, so a site should receive
full sunshine.
• The best situation will be the southern side and the next-
best is the south-east and south-west of the building.
• Soil moisture capacity and drainage are also two
important points which should be kept in mind.

ORNAMENTAL GERDEN WITH GREEN LAWN

SOIL
• In India, the common lawn grass, Cynodon dactylon, is very
hardy and can be grown in any type of soil.
• But to obtain a most luxuriant lawn, it is desirable to have a
fertile loamy soil containing enough humus.
• The soil should retain enough moisture and at the same time
the drainage should also be adequate.
• A lawn soil should preferably be a little, but not highly, acidic,
the pH range being 5.5 to 6.0.
• If the pH is very low about half a kilogram of chalk or
grounded limestone should be added to clayey loam soil.
• In an alkaline soil, gypsum should be added at the same rate.
• Depth of soil should be of 25-30cm required for obtaining a
good lawn.

DRAINAGE
• After selecting the site, the next thing will be
to ensure proper drainage.
• Grasses are shallow-rooted herbs and,
therefore, no deep drainage is necessary, but
no water should stagnate in the rooting zone.
• In clayey soil, some kind of drainage must be
provided. This may be done by drainage pipes
or by putting a layer of broken pieces of bricks
and rubbish 90cm below the surface.

DESIGN OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM IN LAWN

DRAINAGE INSTALLATION BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION OF LAWN

DIGGING
• Rough surface levelling by eye estimation should
be done prior to digging. If during rough levelling
a lot of shifting and filling of soil is necessitated,
the surface soil should first be taken out kept
separately, which should be laid on the top after
final levelling.
• After rough levelling is completed the digging
work will commence. Thorough preparation of
the ground is most essential in the success of a
lawn..

MANURING AND GRADING
• Apply organic manure if the soil is originally not
fertile. F.Y.M. or old stable manure is used for this
purpose.
• The manure is sieved finely and spread over the
surface at the rate of 500 kg per 100 square meters
of soil. This is then worked up in the soil to depth of
15–20 cm.
• The next step will be to settle the soil thoroughly.
• The prepared soil is watered heavily and to check
the run-off , bunds should be put up all along the
periphery.

• The flooding is should be repeated 2 or 3 times
and between each watering the sprouted weeds
should be removed.
• The final levelling is done with the help of
levelling pegs, straight-edge, and spirit level.
• The levelling work can be done by drawing
slabs of wood measuring 45 cm X 7 cm X 2.5
cm along the surface.

• The loose soil is then made firm by the use of
light rollers.
• The soil is then slightly irrigated and the levels
rechecked when the soil is sufficiently dried up.
• It is always advisable to keep the level of the lawn
5 cm below the levels of paths and drives, the
margins along the paths are raised by gradual
slope of 15-20 cm, to form a turf edge of 3-4 cm
higher. This method will help keep the paths dry
when the lawn is flooded with water.

• It is not always necessary to have a perfectly
levelled lawn.
• Lawns can be laid in undulated land also and such
lawns look very beautiful. But there should not be
any depression as then water will collect and kill
the doob grass.
• Moreover, the slopes and mounds in a lawn should
be gradual and artistic, simulating the nature.

SELECTION OF GRASS
• The most suitable lawn grass for most part of India is
the doob grass (Cyanodon dactylon).
• This grass thrives well under hot, sunny weather and
will not grow under shade.
• In Europe and America many grasses are used for the
lawn, some of which may suit for our hill stations.
• The finer varieties are Agrostis tenuis, A.canina,
Festuca ovina, F.rubra(Fescus), while the cheaper
mixtures consist of perennial rye grass (Lolium
perenne) and crested dog’s tail (Cynosurus cristatus).
• The wood meadow grass (Poa nemoralis) grows well
under shade of trees.

METHOD OF PLANTING
• If irrigation facilities exist, a lawn can be laid out in
any time during the year.
• Under Indian climatic conditions it is better to sow
after one or two monsoon showers, while the grass
root is planted at the beginning of the monsoon.
• The different methods for starting a lawn are by:
a) Seed sowing
b) Dibbling
c) Turfing, and
d) Turf-plastering

(a) From seed :
• If grass-cuttings or roots are not easily available, one
should go for seeds.
• The seed is divided at the rate of 500g per 200 square
metres and mixed with double the quantity of finely
sifted soil and broadcast by hand.
• The seeds germinate in about 3 to 5 weeks from
sowing.

(a) Dibbling :
• After the land is ready, well-matured unrooted (or
rooted) doob grass-cutting is obtained from a close-
cut lawn or nursery or from a lawn-scraping.
• The roots or grass thus obtained are dibbled
(planted) in the ground when it is slightly moist at 7-
10 cm apart.
• Within 5-7 weeks the grass will be ready for first
cutting.
• By this method a lawn will be ready in about four
months.

(c) Turfing :
• Turf is a piece of earth of about 5 cm thickness with
grass thickly grown over it.
• The pieces may be of small squares or in rolls of small
width (30 cm or so).
• These should be laid closely to each other in a bonded
alternate pattern in the already prepared ground. Along
the joints sandy soil should be filled as packing.

• Bone meal is dusted in the prepared ground a few
days prior to turfing.
• The turf thus laid is made firm by a wooden beater
made out of heavy block of wood and fitted with a
handle.
• The grass is immediately watered copiously.
• By this method a lawn will be ready for use in a very
short time.

(d) By turf plastering :
• A paste is prepared by mixing garden soil, fresh
cowdung, and water.
• Bits of chopped-up fresh roots and stem or rhizomes
of doob grass are mixed with this paste and the paste
is spread evenly on the surface of the prepared
ground after moistening the soil.
• The paste is then covered by spreading 2 cm of dry
soil and watered at regular intervals.
• This method is not very suitable especially in a dry
and variable climate.

MAINTENANCE OF LAWN
• If the lawn is not properly maintained, it will
become useless within no time.
• The various aspects of maintenance are :
a) Weeding
b) Liming
c) Rolling, mowing, and sweeping
d) Irrigation
e) Scraping and raking

(a) Weeding :
• weed is common in both new and old lawns.
Therefore, as soon as lawn established weeding
should start and continue at regular intervals or
whenever the weeds come out.
• The motha (Cyperus rotundus) is the most difficult
weed to eradicate, because of its deep root system. A
red creeping weed , dudi (Euphorbia thymefolia),
often invades the lawn and is not difficult to eradicate
if controlled at the initial stages.
• All weeds should be removed with the roots and
should never be allowed to seed.

(a) Liming :
• application of lime once a year, except in alkaline
soils, is beneficial.
• After liming watering should be done.

(c) Rolling, mowing, and sweeping :
• the object of rolling is to help the grass anchor itself
securely and also to keep the surface levelled. Rolling
should be avoided when the soil is wet. In light sandy
soils rolling after each weeding will be helpful to keep
the surface levelled. Indiscriminate use of a roller is
definitely bad.
• In case of mowing, first thing is to obtain a good
machine which will cut evenly at a correct height. Grass
should not allow to grow more than 5-6 cm in length
during any season.
• Sweeping the lawn thoroughly after each mowing is
essential to clean the cut grasses which might have
fallen from the mower box. Sweeping is also done every
morning to clean the fallen leaves and other debris.

(d) Irrigation :
1. Labour as well as water can be saved to a
considerable extent if sprinkler irrigation is used.
2. The frequency of irrigation varies with climate.
3. Stagnation of water should not be allowed as it may
kill the grass.

(e) Scraping and raking :
• continuous rolling, treading, and mowing may result
in the formation of a hard crust and the lower part of
the lawn may get matted and woody.
• For such lawns, the grass is scraped at the ground
level with the help of a khurpi in the months of April
and May.
• Scraping is followed by raking to break the crust.
• Where the condition of the lawn is good, and
thorough raking is done both ways to loosen the old
runners and to aerate the soil.
• Then the mower blade is lowered and the grass
mowed close to the ground.

TOP DRESSING WITH COMPOST AND
FERTILIZER
• After scraping or raking a compost consisting of
good garden soil, coarse sand, and leaf-mould in the
proportion of 1:2:1 is spread over the lawn to a
depth of 3-5 cm. to cover to such a depth a 100kg of
compost per 100 square metres will be needed.
• Bone meal is also applied at the rate of 1 kg per 10
square metres.
• The same compost is used as top dressing again
during September or October.

• From October to April, ammonium sulphate is
applied once every month at rate of 1 kg per 50
square metres area followed by watering. After the
application, the lawn is soaked with water.
• This can applied twice a year (October and May-
June).
FROST-INJURY
• In north India, the grass is injured due to frost.
• This can be avoided to a great extent if the grass is
sprayed with water every evening and in the early
morning after frost.

PEST AND DISEASES
• Earthworm create difficulty in the lawn by depositing
the filthy excreta and termite is the another trouble-
creating insect in the lawn.
• Both can be controlled by the application of oil cakes
of neem (Azadirachta indica), mahua (Bassia
latifolia), or karanj (Pongamia glabra) @ 500 g/10 m²
just before the rainy season.
• Yellow rings, 50-60 cm in diameter, appear on the
grass lawn, specially during wet weather. Drenching
with copper oxychloride or dithane M-45, both @ 3
g/l or bavistin @ 1 g/l will take care of the trouble.

Garden

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to Garden

Recently uploaded

Garden