One U.K. Redditor wowed the internet with pictures of their mother's unique and gorgeous lawn alternative.
"Mum's forb garden/tapestry lawn in the UK," the user wrote in their post on an anti-lawn subreddit.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a forb as "an herb other than grass." All kinds of low-growing plants, including many flowers, qualify for the definition.
In the original poster's case, the forbs in question were a gorgeous assortment of flowers and other ground cover plants: geraniums, daisies, fritillaries, bird's foot trefoil, clover, and cyclamen. They shared half a dozen photos of the garden as it cycled through the seasons, including how it looked after being (infrequently) mowed. In a comment, they also explained the garden has been their mother's labor of love for nine or 10 years now.
Tapestry lawns are growing in popularity for many reasons. For one, a carpet of flowers has more character and color than a plain grass lawn. It also takes less maintenance and sometimes less water.
The original poster detailed the tapestry lawn's care needs in a comment. "My mum weeds it every now and then (mainly grass) and mows it three or four times a year, and that's it," they said.
In addition to being beautiful and low-maintenance, an assortment of flowers like these is a magnet for beneficial pollinators. Not only do these beautiful bugs help the tapestry lawn reseed itself, they're also a huge boon for fruits and veggies, which often can't mature without being pollinated.
Add to that the fact that less mowing means less air pollution from a lawn mower, and a tapestry lawn becomes an incredible way to benefit the environment while saving time and money.
Commenters were in love with this Redditor's mother's gardening choices. "Beautiful and smart. I get the impression that there is no plant establishing dominance," said one user.
🗣️ If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
🔘 Making it look better 🌱
🔘 Saving money on water and maintenance 💰
🔘 Helping pollinators 🐝
🔘 No way I ever get rid of my lawn 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
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