Late spring / early summer I started a tapestry lawn and posted some photos and details about it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/GardeningUK/s/axj8br6MXi
So now 4/5 months later, here's how it's looking (fourth photo is how it looked after planting for comparison). Some plants are doing much better than others in my garden. Ajuga surprised me the most (the purple leaved plant near the wildlife pond) since I read it wasn't supposed to cope well in full sun, but it's spread more than any other plant and flowered prolifically. It needs another cut soon but has started flowering again 😂
Sagina on the other hand, a plant with a good reputation for being used in lawns, has done terribly. Barely spread, and has not recovered well from being mown.
For pollinators, I noticed bird's foot trefoil was incredibly popular when it was flowering. It also spread really well. Would highly recommend that for anyone considering starting a tapestry lawn for wildlife benefits.
Some species have also planted themselves. Yarrow is one I've decided to leave in here since it's good for wildlife and provides evergreen foliage. Others I'm ripping out mercilessly. Although I've only had to cut this lawn 3 times over the summer, I wouldn't call it low maintenance. Weeding is something I've been doing fortnightly. But that might well get much easier once the lawn fills in and the plants suppress weed growth. Just a note that creating a tapestry lawn like this rather than using densely laid tiles has been like weeding a giant flower bed in year one.
I've got lots of gaps still, which is fine, because I want to start bulb planting soon. Will be covering the lawn in snowdrops, crocus, and snake's head fritillary. Once those are in I'll divide the better performing plants and start filling the gaps. Then hopefully next year I'll start doing the same thing on the other (larger…) side of the lawn, which has a hibernaculum, a bug hotel with hedgehog house underneath, and I'm currently putting another small pond in with a waterfall system.
I'm using lots of lavender along the front of the garden which the bees love, and heather is now growing between all the lavender shrubs which should be good for pollinators later in the year. And I'm using a bunch of hebe at the moment for the borders along the white stone path, which provide an evergreen border and should also be great for pollinators. Will be planting as many alliums among the hebes as I possibly can too. Also got some salvia behind the pond which the bees have loved 😊
by -Darkstorne-