This week I’m talking to Dr Lionel Smith, horticulture lecturer and author of the book Tapestry Lawns: Freed from Grass and Full of Flowers. As the title suggests, a tapestry lawn replaces grass with flowering dicots, increasing biodiversity, lowering maintenance needs and seriously upping the aesthetic value of a lawn. Living with a tapestry lawns involves a little bit of self-education around how you treat plants and I start by asking how to overcome one of my own biggest worries about having one… Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Painted Lady Butterfly About Dr Lionel Smith: Dr Lionel Smith received his PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Reading in 2014. He is currently Lecturer in Horticulture at Myerscough College, Lancashire, and lives in St. Anne’s-on-Sea. What We Discuss: The history of lawns What is a Tapestry lawn? Tapestry lawn maintenance Height convergence and why it's relevant to Tapestry lawns Tapestry lawns and wildlife  Tapestry lawns over winter Sourcing plants for a Tapestry lawns What does the future hold for Tapestry lawns?  Links: www.grassfreelawns.co.uk   Tapestry Lawns : Freed from Grass and Full of Flowers by Lionel Smith - Taylor & Francis, 2019 Get in touch: Email podcast@rootsandall.co.uk  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall  Instagram @rootsandallpod  Help me keep the podcast free & independent! Support me on Patreon   Or donate as much or as little as you like at GoFundMe