The Lawn Expert

From almost medieval times the lawn has been an integral part of the well-planned garden. Only the soul-less would deny the pleasure of walking barefoot on a cool green sward on a warm summer day. The lawn is more than a functional space--it is commonly part of the fantasy garden that we at least daydream about if not achieve.

Whatever your hopes and expectations The New Lawn Expert can provide you with a good head start as Dr Hessayon offers his trademark clear explanations and easy-to-follow guidance. If you are starting from scratch then here we have everything from preparing the ground to the care of the established lawn. If you have an area of grass that fails to measure up to the title "lawn", then help is at hand as troubles are identified and remedies provided.

The book has excellent step-by-step diagrams providing information and more importantly solutions to every conceivable problem during every month of the year. You might well be a devoted lawn manager with an enviable green sward but still you may have problems--lawns are like that--which is almost part of the obsession. This book then should provide a pleasurable and potentially restorative read. --T W Falinska

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View books by D.G. Hessayon.

Just one book on lawns!! - Rated
If you are just seeking one book on lawns and their care, buy this one. Although the content in parts is dated the basic techniques are still relevant today. In today's climate of ecology and organics the high use of chemicals is frowned upon but this was not the case when the first edition was written, also the author worked in the chemical industry.
Dr D.G. Hessayon's approach is basic and not flowered, yet is easily understood.

So you thought a lawn was just grass? - Rated
If you want to know how short you should cut your grass in mid-May, as opposed to the end of August, or why nitrogen-rich lawn feed should be avoided in the autumn, then this is the book for you. The author has an amusing style of writing that conjures up images of an ex public-school master obsessed with his lawn. Basically, anyone who doesn't have a £1500 Atco Balmoral cylinder mower, a warehouse full of potash, lome and other essential nutrients, and a bowling green for a lawn is a Philistine. Take the chapter (half a page!) devoted to synthetic lawns, for example: "For many gardeners, the idea of using plastic lawn at home is an obscenity" - you've got to love him :-) Even the 'photographs' are those delicious water-paint illustrations I used to see in 1960s Ladybird Learn to Read books as a child. A wealth of information, well worth the selling price.

Totally comprehensive - Rated
I have had this book for years and read it when I first got it. A first class reference book and "recipe" for a perfect lawn. Has sections on types of grass (how many?) weeds and pests that you get in lawns and a useful section on what to do in each month of the year. Follow this for a few years and you will end up with a beautiful English lawn. But beware you won't be doing anything else its a full time job !

OK, but not for me - Rated
This book doesn't really take the approach that I was interested in, in lawn management. The author is very enthusiastic about a perfect lawn at all costs. Their attitude towards worms is curious - they are a BAD THING and "unfortunately, worm killer is no longer available". The solution to most problems is the addition of chemicals, and then some more chemicals.

Great book for beginners - Rated
If like me your new to the idea of owning a lawn then this book is invaluable. It takes you clearly and simply through the steps required to get rid of the weeds and encourage the grass. Everything is covered from garden tools to lawn seed, weeds to wildflowers. There's also a very useful garden calendar with monthly jobs laid out. My only slight criticism is finding your way around the book, but it's not a huge book so it's not that big a problem. Simply, if you want a first rate lawn buy this book and follow the instructions.