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The quality of the grass in your lawn can really make or break a garden, especially if you feel that the garden is an extension of the home - if you religiously hoover the carpets indoors, I'm sure you'll see the sense of maintaining the grass outdoors. Perhaps you've decided to re-landscape your garden, or maybe just want to breathe some life back into your dried-out or muddied grass.
Whether you're looking for a child-proof, hard-wearing grass, a flawless ornamental lawn or a pack of decorative grass seeds, this article has got you covered. Clay soil or planting in shade? No problem! Preference for an ingenious grass seed spreader or added weed killer? Done! We've searched Amazon to find exceptional grass seeds from Miracle-Gro, Finchmill, Graminex and more, ranking them according to quality and value for money.
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If you want a thriving lawn, or have recently removed paving to reveal the earth below, you will want to buy grass seeds that will grow to form a healthy lawn. These seed mixes will contain a blend of two or more grass types, usually including perennial ryegrass, a cool-season grass native to Europe, Africa and Asia. There will often be a fescue seed too; a fine-leafed grass that recovers well from regular cutting.
As well as, or indeed instead of, a standard lawn, you may like the idea of decorative grasses. These can either be used as edging for a central lawn, be planted in beds and tubs or even become the central focus - a wildflower and grass garden with a winding pathway, perhaps? Tall grasses can also provide some privacy while making a bold statement, and they require less maintenance.
Why not try adding a vegetable patch with these suggestions for easy to grow vegetables?
When your garden is getting a regular battering from your boisterous brood, your lawn will need to be made of stern stuff. Hard-wearing grass mixes containing a high percentage of ryegrass can withstand frequent stomping. Finer-leafed creeping grasses like fescues help to make up a smaller percentage of the seed mix, making sure the grass stays green even when dealing with frequent footfall.
For a beautiful, decorative lawn that has the neighbours' curtains twitching, you'll need a seed blend with a much higher percentage of fine-leafed grasses such as creeping red fescue; perhaps a blend of the strong and slender variants, totalling 80%. The remaining percentage will be made up of standard red fescue (also known as chewings fescue) which forms a lush, thick turf, but would not survive regular-use well.
To truly thrive, the average lawn needs between four and six hours of direct sunlight. Some grasses can survive 'well enough' in the same number of hours of filtered or dappled light - so consider pruning back heavy trees if your grass is struggling.
Ryegrass and Fescue mixes can usually succeed with a minimum of four hours of sunlight, as well as in colder weather conditions. Always shop for grasses adapted to the UK's weather, and look for seed blends specifically aimed at shady gardens.
If the earth you're digging is clumped and feels like plasticine in your hands, this means your area has clay-rich soil and can be hard to garden. In dry, warm conditions, heavy clay soil may crack, and on colder days your feet may sink into the earth; you may also find that it can be prone to flooding. In this case, look for grass seeds aimed at high clay soil, which will be tough, resilient and deep-rooting.
Identifying sandy soil isn't too hard; it'll run through your fingers like sand! Sandy soil is low in nutrients and can become very dry, meaning it can pose real grass-growing difficulties. The best types of grass seeds for sandy soil are fescue, sheep's fescue and strong creeping red fescue.
If it's a new lawn, take accurate measurements of the area where you want to grow. For a 7m² lawn, roughly 200 - 250 g of grass seed should be sufficient. 1 kg should be sufficient for a 30m² lawn. Though this is the average quantity of seed, it's always essential to read the advice on the product packaging.
However, if you're just looking to boost the look and growth of an existing lawn, you can scatter seeds over a freshly-raked patch of grass, to allow fresh new blades to improve the overall appearance of your garden. Just 1 kilogram should be sufficient to over-seed 60m² of lawn, and that quantity can be used to help calculate the amount you'll need in smaller gardens too.
These selected garden hand tool sets and garden rakes might prove useful!
The standard wait time for a new lawn to begin showing shoots is around 7 days, taking 2 weeks+ for full growth. But if you have a tight schedule for your finished garden, you may want to consider fast-acting grass seeds which promise growth in just 5 days. However, the reality of gardening is, of course, that patience is a virtue and new lawns will need longer than a week to look their very best.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Price | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Speedy Seed Super Speedy Grass Seed | £9.99 Mid | Blend of Quick-Germinating Annual and Perennial Seeds for All Soil Types | ||
2 | A1 Lawn Ornamental Lawn Grass Seed | £40.99 High Mid | Ornamental Lawn Seed for Covering Large Areas | ||
3 | Mr Fothergill's Seed Collections Grasses|10151 | £4.55 Low Mid | Selection of Six Decorative Grasses From Trusted Seed Brand | ||
4 | GBW Grass Seed | £10.99 Mid | Deep-Rooting Disease Resistant Grass | ||
5 | Miracle-Gro EverGreen Multi Purpose Lawn Seed | £5.00 Low Mid | Get a Thick, Healthy Lawn Within 5 - 14 Days | ||
6 | Johnsons Pink PampasGrass|16424 | £2.75 Low | Pink Pampas Grass for Adding Colour to Lawns and Gardens | ||
7 | Graminex Professionally Selected Grass Seeds | £9.95 Mid | Top Ornamental Seed for Shady Gardens | ||
8 | FinchMill Grass Seed All Rounder | £10.99 Mid | Fast-Growing Grass Blend for Sunny or Shady Lawns | ||
9 | The Grass People A Bag Full of Living Stuff Premium Grass Seed | £55.00 High | Tough Lawn Seed Mix Created With Families in Mind | ||
10 | Moowy Power Lawn Super Resilient & Fast Growing Grass Seeds | £12.99 Mid | Resilient Grass Seed Mix Designed to Thrive in the UK |
This product is our number one since it has so many enthusiastic reviews across eCommerce sites. It can be used on all kinds of soil, from clay-rich to sandy and in any conditions, wet, frosty or warm. It can also withstand regular use so it suits large families with pets too.
This grass seed mix contains a blend of quick-germinating annual and perennial seeds and it couldn't be simpler to use. Shake seeds over the area, rake them carefully and water to help seeds take root. The wide range of seed types in this pack means it takes well to almost any soil! Reviewers with both clay-dense and sandy soil say they have seen excellent results.
For a very large garden where you're hoping to achieve verdant perfection, we think your top pick should be A1 Lawn's Ornamental Lawn grass seed which contains a blend of chewings fescue (slim blades) and browntop bent (wider blades) producing a hardy grass-coverage commonly used on golfing greens.
This grass uses certified high-purity seeds which form deep roots with excellent disease resistance. It survives well under regular mowing and is recommended for use on bowling greens - just to give you an idea of the standard! A 5-kilogram bag should provide for a lovely big garden - up to 100 square metres. Prepare to wait a minimum of 12 days, but expect stunning results.
To add a touch of drama to any garden bed, you can't get much better than Mr Fothergill's selection of ornamental grass seeds. This collection contains six types of grass: Cloud Grass, Golden Dog's Tail, Bronze New Zealand Hair Sedge, Silky Spike Melic, Blue Fescue and Foxtail Millet.
Each grass variety provides gorgeous textured fronds: some green, some golden and others a 'bronze' shade of orange-ish red. These perennial grasses are suited to shade or partially shady areas and provide wonderful movement. They could be sown together as a feature or spread out in beds. As they are low-maintenance and beautiful, we think they provide great value overall.
This grass is ideal for lawns that are expected to undergo a lot of wear and tear, whether that is from family gatherings, sports and games, pet toilet-training or general trampling. You can cover some thirty-five square metres of your garden using this 1kg pack, in around 2 to 4 weeks.
This premium quality grass seed is durable and the grasses have been carefully selected for their deep roots, meaning it's one of our best recommendations for problem soil; especially those with high sand content. It is also disease resistant, so it'll stay healthy and green for seasons to come.
Perhaps you're in a hurry to grow a thick, luscious lawn? Miracle-Gro is a great go-to for impatient gardeners. This multi-purpose lawn seed can be used to repair thinning patches in existing lawns or to create a brand new, child- and pet-proof one in as little as 5 days.
Even if conditions are not optimal, this thick, vibrant grass should be looking good within a maximum of 14 days. For a fiver (or thereabouts) you can cover seven square metres of garden, no matter whether you have clay-heavy or sandy soil, lots of shade or frosty conditions.
While this seed packet won't provide you with an immaculate lawn, it will provide a gorgeous statement for the garden. These tall pampas grass leaves not only add texture and potential privacy to a garden, but the unique pink colour also makes a bold talking point sitting wonderfully amongst flowers and other grasses.
The whole packet should produce grass that takes up around 2 square metres of garden space. The seeds are able to thrive in any type of UK conditions, just make sure the soil is well-drained on the day you sow them. They also take a little longer to appear than a regular lawn: somewhere between 21 days and 6 weeks for noticeable growth.
Graminex have some excellent options for flawless ornamental lawns, and this one is not only blended to make grass thick and elegant (perfect for moving into stripes) but can also thrive in minimal sunlight. If you have a beautiful hedge-lined pathway or several tall trees, this is your pick. It's not a popular all-rounder and it's best for less-used areas, so it won't suit every lawn.
The majority of the seed content is resilient chewings fescue (referred to on the packaging by its Latin name comutata) and a mix of several other grass types provides a flawless overall appearance and a fresh, vivid green grass despite reduced sunlight. Water regularly for top results.
We really rate this all-rounder grass seed blend, since it works just as effectively in shady gardens as it does in sunny ones. Perfect for a hardwearing lawn that gets plenty of use, this 1kg pack aims to provide 50 m² of grass and could begin appearing in as few as 7 days. We have kept this product at the lower end of our ranking as it has fewer reviews than other products on our list!
Another top perk of this grass seed is that each seed is coated in Growmax, a formula guaranteed to speed up growth. Tests show that in the first week you'll see 38% more grass growth than with other standard seed blends, thanks to root stimulation. The package is resealable for repeated use.
The Grass People have a huge range of excellent grass seed mixes, designed for every purpose; from heavy clay soil to sandy gardens, fancy ornamental lawns to busy gardens populated by children and pets. This link is for their Superstar blend, aimed at families with busy gardens.
Highly passionate about what they do, The Grass People have carefully tailored each blend to have the best results for your particular garden and needs. This product has tons of rave reviews online, claiming it produces low-maintenance grass in minimal time. There are just two bag sizes available, 10kg or 20kg , so this option won't suit those with less than 200 square meters to cover.
This grass is specifically designed for the UK (cool temperaturess and infrequent sunlight) meaning it is hard-wearing and super-resilient. Produced by the same company who have provided grass for football stadiums in the 2018 World Cup, it's guaranteed to be tough. A possible downside to this grass is that it doesn't include as many grass types as others in our top ten.
With two lawn-size options available (50 and 250m²) this product has an 80:20 ratio of perennial ryegrass to red fescue. We like the fact the seed comes in a resealable pouch to keep moisture out. You should see results after between 7 and 14 days. Multiple reviewers say they have re-bought this product and it has received more than 1,000 five-star ratings.
Grass seed is best planted in late Spring or early Autumn - as continuous warmth and moisture are needed for successful seed germination. Do not plant during very dry weather, nor when torrential rain is forecast and especially not when there is a risk of frost!
BEFORE sowing the grass seed, soak the prepared ground with water, so the top layer (10cm of soil) is saturated - check this with a trowel. Once sown, soak the area with the hose set to a fine spray (like light-rain, so the grass seed isn't washed away!) for 10 minutes daily – don’t let the baby grass dry out until the roots have developed.
No. 1: Speedy Seed|Super Speedy Grass Seed
No. 2: A1 Lawn|Ornamental Lawn Grass Seed
No. 3: Mr Fothergill's|Seed Collections Grasses|10151
No. 4: GBW|Grass Seed
No. 5: Miracle-Gro|EverGreen Multi Purpose Lawn Seed
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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