Last week, I finished mowing my extensive lawn, and I’m really happy with how it looks. The property we rent is a couple of acres, and the manicured lawn turns into a wetland complete with a pond. The only difference between the lawn and the drier parts of the wetland is whether I mowed it or not.
This made me think about the history of lawns. When did someone look at a meadow of tall grass and think, wouldn’t that look better if it was only an inch tall? And why did they decide to find out?
Estates in France in the 1700s sported the first formal manicured lawns. The grass had to be cut by scythe, and I imagine it was a bit rough looking. Although the nobility probably punished the servants or slaves who didn’t keep the lawn looking great.
These poor grass cutters must have been grateful to Englishman Edwin Bear Budding, who built the first mechanical lawn mower in 1830. It was made with a series of blades around a cylinder, which sounds similar to a manual lawn mower used today.
I didn’t enjoy pushing the lawnmower around, but I’m glad I didn’t have to use a scythe. Perhaps someday, tall grass will come into fashion.