ABSTRACT
The use of coloured-leaved cultivars is usually a particularly admired feature of Tapestry Lawns (T-lawns) since it can provide colour in the lawn throughout the year and is invaluable for the periods when few plants are in flower. T-lawns may function best without supplementary fertiliser, but they do require nutrition. The little blighters have been observed selectively plucking and consuming every red clover leaf in a lawn while leaving the green leaves virtually untouched until their next visit. In T-lawns where nutrient levels are hopefully a bit lower than in cultivated soils, the difference in vigour is a bit more noticeable, and R. repens ‘Buttered Popcorn’ is usually both better behaved and a worthwhile colourful addition. There is yet another feature of T-lawns to consider, a sensory one that harks back to the earliest medieval lawns, that of scent. T-lawns can easily withstand young knees and a surprising amount of foot traffic.
