Where did the idea of a ‘lawn’ come from?
The humble Aussie lawn that we know today has evolved through many years of cultural and environmental factors and changes to our way of life. The effects of globalisation in introduced grass types, lawn maintenance techniques, and the emergence of modern suburbia as we now know it, have all played a part in the history of lawns.
Although lawns have not always been a luxury accessible to all, modern-day technologies and new farming methods have paved the way for the lawns of today. Providing a place where families can congregate, where friends socialise, and where the many lifestyles and sporting activities take place.
Where did the history of lawns start?
The history of lawns as we know them today began with old European Estates. In these estates, lawns mainly consisted of chamomile or thyme, rather than grass. These lawns were popular as they had a relatively low growing height allowing groundsmen to spot danger or visitors before arrival. Some of these lawns were maintained by livestock, however many were hand-cut by workers using a scythe.
As these lawns took a lot of time and effort to maintain, they mainly belonged to the wealthy. These elegant gardens entwined with lawn areas became a symbol of status and continued to become more elaborate over time. It wasn’t until the innovation of lawnmowers and grass cutting mechanisms, that lawns really started to increase in popularity.
The First Lawn Mower
The first lawnmower in history was designed and created by Edwin Beard Budding in 1830. Budding was inspired after seeing a machine in a cloth mill and saw the potential for a similar concept to be used for cutting grass. The mower he designed was built from iron and had a similar design to cylinder mowers that we see today. The machine was quite heavy and took a bit of effort to use but worked well at cutting grass.
When Budding was first testing his invention, he would only test his machine in the darkness of night to avoid suspicion from his neighbours. Budding saw great potential for his invention. He soon teamed up with John Ferrabee to finance a patent as well as the cost of manufacturing. Little did they know their invention would help reshape the history of lawns.
The Modern Residential Lawn
The idea of the modern residential lawn we know today was influenced by Abraham Levitt, a property developer in the United States. Mr Levitt and his sons pioneered mass production and low-cost housing after World War II. Mr Levitt realised that it was through the landscaping of lawns that home depreciation could be offset. Every house in Levitt’s development of over 17,000 homes had a lawn.
As the popularity of lawns began to boom, more turf varieties became available. Developments in lawn maintenance products including fertilisers, and herbicides also helped lawns become easier to maintain.
Grass Types in Australia
With the growing popularity of sporting games such as lawn bowls and golf in America, people wanted to find new and better surfaces to play on. This sparked interest in new grass varieties and organisations began to conduct research into superior options. It’s through this investment in sports turf that new varieties gradually became available for use in domestic lawns too.
Couch grasses have been a popular choice for Aussie backyards due to their high drought and wear tolerance. Kikuyu grass, originally from the highland regions of East Africa and named after the Kikuyu tribe. Kikuyu has remained a popular choice due to drought tolerance, high wear, and their rich colour.
Some varieties of zoysia are native to Australia. Over time, other varieties of zoysia have been introduced from parts of South East Asia. These grasses are a popular choice due to their drought and wear tolerance.
Buffalo grasses have not always been a popular choice in Australia. This was because they would lose colour in winter and had a scratchy and coarse leaf. But in the last 20 years or so, buffalo have risen in popularity since the introduction of soft leaf buffalos like Sir Walter DNA Certified.
With incredible new turf varieties like TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda and Sir Grange Zoysia now available, we look forward to what the future has in store for the Aussie lawn to come.
