Hello all,
I’d really appreciate some advice on maintaining a small lawn in London.
A bit of context: I have two dogs who absolutely love the garden—they’re constantly running, rolling, and generally treating it like their playground. The lawn is very much for them, so I’m trying to strike a balance between keeping natural grass and having something that still looks reasonably presentable.
I originally laid standard turf in 2024. It looked great at first, but by the end of the season (and into winter) a clear bald patch developed in the centre. In 2025, I tried overseeding, which again looked good in spring, but by autumn/winter the lawn had mostly disappeared.
This year, I went for clover turf hoping it would be more resilient but I’m already seeing the same issue: a worn, bald patch forming right in the middle.
At this point I’m wondering is there anything I can realistically do to stop this cycle, other than re-turfing every year?
For clarity, the compromises I’m not willing to make:
- Keeping the dogs off the lawn
- Switching to artificial grass
I appreciate that with a small space and active dogs this might be a losing battle, but I’d really value any advice, tips, or even realistic expectations from people who’ve dealt with something similar.
Thanks in advance!