I have a view across the grassy bit of Spring Park, over the children's playground to the West Reservoir. The grass all but disappeared by the middle of August. The short video at the foot of the page is a 1 minute time lapse of it growing back.
And today , 2nd September, it is being mown.
I'm wondering of this is good value for our service charge. Much of the area still has barely visible green shoots, and where the grass is a bit longer , it is a long way from being overgrown.
I wondered the same thing through the spring, when the grass was cut more than once a week for weeks on end, with no visible change in its length.
Does cutting a very small amount from very short grass encourage more growth? Or as is happening over much of the area today, does passing by with the blades set too high to cut, do any good?
And clearly, the preparation that went in to laying the turf in the first place was far from completely effective.
Replies
I posted the link to this item on the "Park Collection Community" Whats App Group and got the following reply
Spring Park lawns haven’t been a great success. They didn’t use the correct grade of turf that should have been laid given the intense use for football, dogs peeing and general wear and tear. It also wasn’t laid correctly onto a level surface of sharp sand and topsoil. It’s currently being considered under the new contract and will be under review as part of the Landscape & Garden strategy proposed across the whole estate.
Having said that, yes it’s important to keep cutting the grass despite its condition as it encourages more vigorous growth and quicker recovery where possible
On the value for money, it is a good question and being reviewed. We pay very little for Waltons at the moment considering the scope of their responsibilities but that has been extended by Berkeley along with their contract as Gingko Landscapes have been let go but it’s all work in progress. Hopefully from the Spring there will be a much more coherent strategy!
Which contains a fair bit of information.
For example "the Landscape & Garden strategy proposed across the whole estate" the existence of which had not really struck me but which I suppose must be part of the proceeding of WDCO, an organisation set up to represent the views of the whole Woodberry Down community. I will try to find out more about the development of this strategy.