Garden surfaces

Leo Walker

Leo Walker

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We currently have 2 big sections of decking, a huge raised bed and the rest is gravel. My current dog hates the gravel and picks his way through it, has a wee and comes back in. It hasnt really mattered with adult dogs as they do their exercising out on walks etc. However the puppy is arriving soon so I will want to use it more and I am fed up of the way the garden looks so might as well do something with it now.

I'm going to take up the biggest section of decking and take down the shed that we dont use so theres a much bigger space. Its obviously too late for grass, but not sure I want grass anyway as that leads to mud! Bark will just go the same way wont it? Gravel is obviously a no go, delicate little whippet feet dont like gravel :lol:

I did look at fake grass but it felt awful, the high end stuff was better but I was hoping to not have to spend loads, famous last words! :lol:

Has anyone got slate down? Or the coloured rubber chips you can get?

I just want a flat, smoothish surface that the dogs are happy to walk on as cheap as possible as we are probably going to extend the house into the back garden next year anyway.

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I tried grass, then gravel, then wood chips with my lot and considered artificial grass but decided it would get too manky with four dogs and was expensive. The easiest and cheapest has turned out to be cement slabs from B & Q. Put a few raised planters around, a few climbers on the fence to pretty it up. Clean up once a day with a nice smelling disinfectant as well as removing poop asap. Five minutes a day job.

I have also fenced off one side with grass and a few hardy plants along the edge and the dogs are allowed in it under supervision (no digging!) when it is dry.
 
I have, or have had in the past, nearly all the surfaces you've mentioned OP! The easiest to maintain is actually plain old grass. Or slabs. I wouldn't recommend laying slabs if you're not reasonably au fait with DIY - it can be hard to get them properly level, and if you don't that can be problematic down the line.

Any loose substrate is a nightmare for weeds, and if there's anything that sheds leaves near it, impossible to get rid of them, short of spending hours picking up every leaf by hand. The leaves then disintegrate and make dirt.

I would suggest looking at turf rather than sowing grass seed - more expensive, but you'll be able to let the dogs on it much much sooner. Young grass remains delicate for several seasons, whereas with turf you can purchase established grass that is already robust.
 
I can't imagine a garden without grass for both me and the dogs but I have always been lucky with the space I have and the dogs (3) don't make any mud or mess. However I went to visit a friend the other day who owns 3 westies, a cocker, a springer and a new springer pup! The 'garden' is the length of the house but not very deep. Tiny compared to what I am used to. The whole thing is paved, with a few strategic pots about to brighten it up. She has a kennel and run in one corner for when she is at work. It is just beautifully kept, she washes it down regularly, there is no smell and the dogs don't seem to mind they have no grass.
 
I would advise against grass with an area that small with sighthounds, or any dogs really but particularly sighthounds as they'll rip it out in clumps when they try and play out there. Our big dogs are banned from the grass at home for this very reason. We have it fenced off with electric (not on). We have a small area at the back of the garden behind the shed which the dogs are supposed to use a toilet area and the rest is paving slabs. The sloughi is great and goes their without fail, the jack Russell sneaks onto the grass and the st Bernard goes down the end of the garden but never makes it quite to the gravel.
 
I would go for grass. Being a small area a whippet is not going to get sufficient speed up to damage it too much, surely? And it will all be going next year when you extend. Chuck down some cheap turf, that is my vote.
 
Clodagh said:
I would go for grass. Being a small area a whippet is not going to get sufficient speed up to damage it too much, surely? And it will all be going next year when you extend. Chuck down some cheap turf, that is my vote.
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erm, my friend's whippet puppy completely knackered her small garden when she got her as a winter pup lol!
 
Clodagh said:
I would go for grass. Being a small area a whippet is not going to get sufficient speed up to damage it too much, surely? And it will all be going next year when you extend. Chuck down some cheap turf, that is my vote.
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I have a large garden and two very active small dogs. My lawn looks like the Somme in areas after a heavy wet winter....not to mention the mopping I have to do keep the kitchen clean when the come in! If I could afford to turf the garden I would but it's too large a space. So having seen your photos above, I'd be going for a really good quality artificial grass. Or paving stones and fake grass.
 
Yeah until you've seen a whippet playing you dont realise the speed an hand break turns involved :lol: Even in the winter the patio doors tend to be open and they come and go as they please so it wouldnt take much to turn my house into a mud bath!
 
Interesting thread. My dad and my husband like a nicely mown lawn, and I am constantly in trouble for the skid marks in the garden where my two labs do hand break halts after their ball. I know what they mean, but it's the only bit of the garden where I can throw the ball and it not get stuck in ivy or trees (I'm no cricket bowler!). I need the dogs to be used to running in the garden. My 76 yr old dad lets them out when I'm away, and I'd rather he didn't have to chase them round our field, which has a footpath in, if someone else comes through with a dog. I'd rather them safe in the garden.

I was wondering about puttin a grass mat like what we have for the gateways in the horse's fields (but would it be too rough on their paws?) or fake grass in that particular corner (but I think it would look awful!). We live in open green belt countryside, so I don't really want to lose the lawn. We're already going to gravel over the front area nearest to the house as one dog has a grass allergy.

I keep saying we need to just make a manège so I can use it for horses and dogs, but they seem to think that option's too expensive!
 
Artificial grass has to be kept clean too. I don't know what its like to get dog pooh off it! I have heard that it has to be hoovered and hosed, but not sure what intervals.
Perhaps you could put some concrete slabs in the corner and train the puppy to use that. :)
 
D66 said:
Artificial grass has to be kept clean too. I don't know what its like to get dog pooh off it! I have heard that it has to be hoovered and hosed, but not sure what intervals.
Perhaps you could put some concrete slabs in the corner and train the puppy to use that. :)
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I have been tempted by artificial grass, it does look a lot better now. However the clearing dog poo question has been vexing me! You know when they do a runny one and you pull the grass up to get rid fully. Having always had dogs whilst bringing up two children I was always careful!
 
FrankieCob said:
I hadnt thought of that! Are they easy to put down? My OH is not a DIY person :lol:
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wren123 said:
I have been tempted by artificial grass, it does look a lot better now. However the clearing dog poo question has been vexing me! You know when they do a runny one and you pull the grass up to get rid fully. Having always had dogs whilst bringing up two children I was always careful!
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It can be washed down with a hose and disinfectant. It can be 'hoovered' too.
 
I only wish I could move house :lol: But unfortunately the south is mega expensive and we were very, very lucky to be able to buy this place. It is a lovely big house inside though and I'm very happy here, I just wish it had a much bigger garden for the dogs. But I'm going to have to make the best of it.

The person who said about putting a school in, thats the sort of thing I was thinking of. The odd time mine has been in an actual school, he loves it! The springy surface is perfect for whippet antics :)
 
My OH and his dad did the garden last weekend. I'm not sure Homes & Gardens will be knocking on the door, but it looks ok, and does what I wanted it to do! We used the pebbles to do the front garden, so my OH is happy there is no more lawn moving. It was less than £100 all in, in the end. Ignore the random 2 plants, they are being moved but we ran out of light and inclination :lol:

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I have gravel - works well for me, easy to pick poo up and Billy doesn't seem to mind walking on it....just got to stop him stealing and burying my socks in it!!!
 
I have grass.... and four greyhounds, including a 35kg 10 year old who thinks he is 10 weeks old and spins/runs in circles/generally fools around every time he is let out :D I would either use paving slabs (a bit soul-less IMHO) or stick with grass :)
 
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