The magical feeling that comes from seeing greenery and having it around us is unparalleled. If you have a house, you probably have a lawn yourself as well. If you don't, you may have come across lawns many times at various places. But have you ever wondered how the concept of lawn started? Let's take a step back into the past and see how lawns looked like centuries ago. It may take you by surprise that the origins of lawns can be traced to Africa, all the way back in the 12th century. African savannas like to keep their grass levels low so that they are able to keep an eye out for danger.
Sodding, that is the process of turfing, first started in Japan in 1159 AD. Since there were no machines or technology of any sort at that time for sodding, it was done entirely by hand. Sodding is not only limited to Japan though and it was prominent in other regions at that time as well. The tradition of having low-level grass and turfing had indeed become famous during the 12th century and farm animals used to contribute their part in keeping the grass neat and low thanks to grazing.
Stepping a bit forward into the 12th and 13th centuries, we can find bowling greens. As the name suggests, bowling greens were actually spaces dedicated to outdoor sports. Golf is one of the most prominent examples of sports that consists of vast bowling green spaces but these spaces were also for cricket, tennis, croquet and others. In the 15th century, soccer also became a part of the bowling greens spaces family.
But how was the word lawn invented? Its roots can be found in the Celtic Brythonic tradition. These early words were laun, llan and lan. The meaning of these words was rooted deeply in religion and tradition, with all of these referring to an enclosed space designed for the purpose of worship. In the middle ages, these words were referred to as 'launde', which suggested an opening in the forest. So the etymology of the word 'lawn' has various meanings and forms throughout the centuries and traditions.
As technology grew and humans gradually started coming up with the idea of more inventions, the lawnmower also came into being. One of the notable lawnmowers was the reel push lawnmower invented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding. It was massively used to maintain low turfs in gardens and recreational spaces. After 60 years somewhere in 1890, mass production of the lawnmower took place, making it available and affordable for the general public to use for the lawns and gardens in their homes. To know more about the history of the lawnmower, see below.
Also See: The Lawnmower: History and Transformation #Infographic
The enthralling history of lawns makes us realise that everything we see in the modern world has its origins deeply rooted in the past. The infographic below will make it easier for you to learn the brief history of lawns.
Infographic by: GreenPal
