A tapestry lawn (also referred to as a grass-free lawn) is a

lawn A lawn () is an area of soil-covered land planted with Poaceae, grasses and other durable plants such as clover lawn, clover which are maintained at a short height with a lawn mower (or sometimes grazing animals) and used for aesthetic an ...

made from a variety of different mowing-tolerant perennial

forb A forb or phorb is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in botany and in vegetation ecology especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically, these are eudicots without woo ...

species. The overall visual effect of the many species of plants grown together is referred to as a tapestry. The format is based on research carried out at the

University of Reading The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as the University Extension College, Reading, an extension college of Christchurch College, Oxford, and became University College, ...

by Lionel Smith PhD. Developed with a temperate humid

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

in mind, it applies ecological principles and horticultural practices to address some of the ecological and environmental issues associated with traditional grass lawns. Compared to a grass lawn, tapestry lawns have a higher biodiversity, of plants and pollinators alike, and need less mowing. More diverse swards are generally more resistant to weeds, and improve soil nutrient retention, as different plants fill complementary niches.

Management

The traditional practice of

mowing A mower is a person or machine that cuts (mows) grass or other plants that grow on the ground. Usually mowing is distinguished from reaping, which uses similar implements, but is the traditional term for harvesting grain crops, e.g. with reaper ...

is the key management tool for tapestry lawns. The need for a tapestry lawn to be mowed is reduced by up to two-thirds compared to traditional mowing regimes because of the absence of grasses and the growth patterns of

s. A consequence of this is that greater numbers of both plant and insect species are able to inhabit the lawn.Smith, L.S., et al., Adding

ecological Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...

value to the urban lawnscape. Insect abundance and diversity in grass-free lawns. Biodiversity and Conservation, 2014. 23: p. 1–16.

Mechanisms

In tapestry lawns, mowing not only operates to maintain a low, lawn-like aesthetic and indicate ongoing care and management; it repeatedly modulates the light environment and intentionally creates physiological stress to the lawn plants. The relatively taller plant species used in a tapestry lawn, such as creeping buttercups (''

Ranunculus repens ''Ranunculus repens'', the creeping buttercup, is a flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe, Asia and northwestern Africa. Habitat It is a very common weed of agricultural land and gardens, spreading quickly by it ...

''), gradually take up more of the available light as they grow, creating internal shade within the lawn and stressing the lower-growing plants e.g. ''

Bellis perennis ''Bellis perennis'' (), the daisy, is a European species of the family Asteraceae, often considered the archetypal species of the name ''daisy''. To distinguish this species from other plants known as daisies, it is sometimes qualified or known a ...

'' (daisy). When mowing is applied it removes the taller growth. This allows light to reach the light-starved low-growing plants and substantially stresses the tall plants by reducing their size and

photosynthetic Photosynthesis ( ) is a Biological system, system of biological processes by which Photoautotrophism, photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical ener ...

area. The plants cut by the mower stop growing and use reserves of carbohydrates to repair the damage. Once the damage has been repaired, they begin to regrow from a reduced-size plant. Meanwhile, the lower-growing and prostrate plants take advantage of the after-mowing window of opportunity to access light previously blocked. In this way both low-growing prostrate plants and the somewhat taller plants can be grown together. Repeatedly changing conditions mean advantage moves from tall plant to prostrate plant and back again in a cycle linked to the frequency of mowing. With no vertical-growing grasses, the need for mowing is substantially reduced. Tapestry lawns do not benefit from added fertilisers or traditional lawn interventions such as raking; these damage the plant community and the lawn and are best avoided.

Biodiversity

An increase in plant diversity and decrease in mowing can increase the overall biodiversity of a green space. Mowing can cause insect mortality through both the action of mowing and the resulting reduced habitat for insects in the lawn. Reduced mowing regimes enabled by the tapestry lawn format offer protection and more abundant food resources for arthropods than a traditional grass lawn. The combination of multiple forb (non-grass) species extends the availability of pollen and nectar for pollinating insects. A study of pollinator interactions with Tapestry Lawns at Reading University (UK) suggests that they can be visited extensively by pollinating insects with around 80 times more pollinators visiting trial tapestry lawns than conventional lawns. Access to blooms and long stems gives arthropods safe hiding places to hibernate.Unterweger, P.A., Klammer, J., Unger, M. and Betz, O., 2018. Insect hibernation on urban green land: a winter-adapted mowing regime as a management tool for insect conservation. BioRisk, 13, pp. 1–29 Growing a mix of both native and non-native plant species in tapestry lawns has been shown to increase insect abundance and diversity.

Plants

Suitable plant species for the tapestry lawn tend to have origins in northwestern Europe, but can include species from other temperate regions: *''

Acaena inermis ''Acaena inermis'', the spineless acaena, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, endemic to New Zealand and introduced to Great Britain. A mat-forming perennial useful as a ground cover Groundcover or ground cover is any pla ...

'' (spineless acaena; native to New Zealand) *''

Achillea millefolium ''Achillea millefolium'', commonly known as yarrow () or common yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Growing to tall, it is characterized by small whitish flowers, a tall stem of fernlike leaves, and a pungent odor. The plan ...

'' (yarrow; native to temperate Asia, Euraope, and North America) *'' Ajuga reptans'' (carpet bugle; native to Europe) *''

'' (lawn daisy; native to Europe) *''

Chamaemelum nobile ''Chamaemelum nobile'', commonly known as chamomile (also spelled camomile), is a low perennial plant found in dry fields and around gardens and cultivated grounds in Europe, North America, and South America. Its synonym is ''Anthemis nobilis ...

'' (camomile; native to Western Europe and North Africa)) *'' Glechoma hederacea'' (ground ivy or creeping charlie; native to Europe) *'' Leptinella dioica'' (hairless leptinella; native to New Zealand) *'' Lobelia pedunculata'' (matted pratia, blue star creeper; native to Australia) *'' Lysimachia nummularia'' (moneywort, herb twopence and twopenny grass; native to Europe) *'' Pilosella officinarum'' (mouse-ear hawkweed; native to Europe and North Asia) *''

'' (creeping buttercup, creeping crowfoot; native to Asia, Europe, and northwest Africa) *''

Trifolium repens ''Trifolium repens'', the white clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae (otherwise known as Leguminosae). It is native to Europe, including the British Isles, and central Asia and is one of the most widely cultivated ...

'' (white clover; native to Europe and central Asia) *''

Veronica chamaedrys ''Veronica chamaedrys'', the germander speedwell, bird's-eye speedwell, or cat's eyes, is a herbaceous plant, herbaceous Perennial plant, perennial species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. Description ''Veronica chamaedr ...

'' (germander speedwell, bird's-eye speedwell; native to Europe) *''

Viola odorata ''Viola odorata'' is a species of flowering plant in the family ''Violaceae'' native to Eurasia. The small hardy herbaceous perennial is commonly known as wood violet, sweet violet, English violet, common violet, florist's violet, or garden viol ...

'' (wood violet, sweet violet, common violet; native to Europe and Asia) The primary component species of tapestry lawns all show the capacity for clonal reproduction, usually via runners, rhizomes and stolons. Other component species include those that are able to successfully set seed in a mown environment e.g. daisies (''Bellis perennis''). Non-clonal species and those that do not manage to set seed in a mown environment can also be used, although these may require replacement at the end of their natural lifespan. Some of the plants used have a role in providing simple

ground cover Groundcover or ground cover is any plant that grows low over an area of ground, which protects the topsoil from erosion and drought. In a terrestrial ecosystem, the ground cover forms the layer of vegetation below the shrub layer known as the ...

(''Leptinella'' sp) and evergreen cover in winter (''Ranunculus repens''). Some species can be

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

and give autumn foliage colour (''Argentina anserina''); some produce flowers and extend the floral season from spring to autumn (''Veronica chamaedrys'', ''Parochetus communis''). The use of cultivars brings foliage effects (''Ajuga reptans'' 'Burgundy Glow'), and allows for lawn gardening – where plants are added and subtracted according to requirements. A wide variety of plant species is used, with a minimum of twelve different species and no upper limit, since environmentally unsuitable species will soon die out. When more species are used there is greater scope for aesthetic choices, extending floral period and resource opportunities for pollinating insects and less chance of any one species becoming dominant in the lawn.

Establishment

Tapestry lawns can be established using seeds or plugs from forb species. Starting with plugs gives the immature forbs a higher probability of establishment and decreases the competition with germinating grass seeds in the soil seed bank. Plants should be selected for their ability to spread vegetatively, or have high rates of seed survival and germination, in order to cover any bare soil and decrease maintenance and replanting. Plants can be arranged in a random pattern or with a purposeful design. A mixture of colours, heights, textures, and flowering times is used to maximize the aesthetic appeal of the lawn throughout the year.

References

{{reflist Lawns