lawn improvement

I have a small lawn that lays in partial shade of a large oak tree, so it doesn't get its full quota of sunshine ( When we get it!) . I feed it regularly in the growing season, but it always struggles to thicken up. Would it help if I added daisies and clover to it.

Has anyone any thoughts on this ,Thanks.

Spring flowering plants are more likely to be successful beneath trees than plants such as clover (which flowers late in the year). Spring flowering plants can grow and flower before the leaf canopy shuts out the light.

Lesser celandine, primroses, snowdrops, blubells and daffodils are Spring flowering will flower successfully beneath oaks. But the foilage on all of those will die down during the Summer.

No harm in trying some clover.

Hi Chris, I removed my lawns several years ago as I honestly felt they took far too much work for such little return on my clay soil.  They were replaced with bark, underplanted with all sorts of things including early bulbs (eg snowdrops, fritillaries, aconites, lots of different miniature narcissi/daffodils), celendine, hardy geraniums, various hardy cyclamen.  No work needed at all now other than spreading a bit of fresh bark every couple of years or so.  Just something to consider, although I do understand those who actually like a bit of lawn, even though I don't miss it one iota!

Small, shaded lawns can be hard work. I also think that you might consider taking the lawn up and turning it into a defined area, topped with gravel or bark. You could underplant as others suggest, or retain a border around the 'central area' and plant this up with an assortment of shade loving small shrubs and perennials, adding bulbs for spring interest.

Thankyou' Bobthegardener'.

I think that is probably what I am going to do this year. I had thought that putting bark down would  be a good idea, but it was just good to hear it from someone else !

Many Thanks!!

Trust me, get the foundations correct and thats half the battle,i once laid a new lawn for some one and dug out 18 inches of clay !! this was replaced with a good quality loam top soil, if you seen there lawn today you would think they played bowls on it

chainsawsal. I have the same problem as you. I moved into a newbuild house two years ago. I asked for them to put a lawn down as a sweetner(not all houses had a lawn). Now i wish i never had. Both my neighbours laid there own. They riddled out so many stones/bricks and rubbish and put quality top soil down before laying a lawn. There lawns grow so much better than mine. I have tried fertiliser, scarifying and all manner of things bar digging it up and starting again. Nothing has really worked as well as i'd like.

Chainsawsal and David 25. I too am in the same boat. The lawn is so patchy and lumpy underfoot with brick etc it makes me think to either dig it all up and start again or just leave it. I have 2 very young daughters and would love them  to enjoy the garden but is it worth the expense and labour re-laying it? We have a fairly large trampoline waiting to get put up and that will put a section in the shade. I am considering  relaying most of it and putting bark down where the trampoline will go.