Grassways

We have two grassed areas around the house. One runs for fifty feet alongside the leylandii hedge (the birds love this for cover, especially the sparrows) and one is directly in front of the house. They are connected by three brick-and-pebble steps which at the moment have my lavender pots on. The grass is struggling to grow well under the hedge and on the rubble left by builders recently and over the last two centuries, not to mention the thin layer of rubble and earth over the septic tank. It grows well in some parts and not so well in others.

As I was looking at the grass last night I noticed a series of triangles of slightly lusher grass in front of the house. What could be causing the better growth? I came to the conclusion that I was looking at it the wrong way round. The triangles were the untrampled patches between shortcuts across the grass. These paths have compacted the earth making it harder for the grass to grow. One continues the path around the house, one runs to the middle of the lawn from the house, and one to the washing line and indirectly to the driveway in front of the garage, ie to the car. They are older than our presence here, evidence of previous inhabitants, like layers of old paint. Do we use them? There was something primeval about these tracks, an assertion in the face of modernity, the way people will impose real pathways over the best plans of urban landscaping. The triangles reminded me of the shapes on snowy roads, areas of tarmac left unused by the traffic but only noticeable when it snows. And this afternoon they are gone, but as the grass recovers in a few weeks they will reappear .