For centuries, gardeners and non-gardeners alike have strived to have the perfect lawn. Philippa Foes-Lamb delves into the history of the lawn and looks at preparing your site for a new lawn.
There is no doubt about it, a lush, green lawn is an integral and much admired part of our home gardens. A beautifully groomed lawn not only makes the garden look spectacular, it also enhances the appearance of our homes.
Whether we live on a tiny section or on a few hectares, many of us work hard to ensure our lawns look as good as they possibly can.
The history of the lawn is really interesting. It seems as though it has always been a bit of a struggle to have the perfect lawn.
The original term for lawn was sward - an area of land covered with short green grass or turf. These swards originated from areas of pasture land that were regularly grazed by rabbits, horses or sheep over a long period.
Today, some forested areas still have these semi-natural swards, now called lawns - in England’s New Forest for example, where grazed areas still commonly occur, such as Balmer Lawn.
In Europe, lawns as we know them today became popular from the Middle Ages onwards, although early lawns weren’t always distinguishable from fields of pasture.
In medieval times, monasteries and castle courtyards had areas of lawn. On these, ladies and lords could get some fresh air and escape the confines of the castle each day.
Lawns really only became much admired in Tudor times where they were used as walkways and play areas. Even then, they weren’t lawns as we know them today.
Meadow plants were used rather than grass, particularly chamomile which was very popular.
The closely cut English lawn was born in the 1600s during the Jacobean period and by the end of this period even the French were envious of English lawns. These lawns were a status symbol of the gentry and were maintained by shearing and scything, both very labour-intensive tasks.
The open English style of parkland came to the fore across Britain and Ireland in the early 1700s when garden fashions changed further, due to the influence of Capability Brown and William Kent. Lawns were seen to flow from the garden out into the surrounding countryside.
The first lawnmower was invented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding, an engineer from Gloucestershire, England, and this made a big difference to lawn maintenance.
It wasn’t long before lawns began to shrink in size, due to the introduction of many plants in Victorian times, which caused gardens to expand.
In the United States, lawns weren’t practical for most Americans until the industrial revolution. Up till then, they were seen as a luxury and only those who could afford a groundsman could enjoy them. Here too, a scythe was used.
Presidents Washington and Jefferson put sheep on the lawn in front of the White House when they were in residence, to help keep the grass under control.
Those who could afford to travel overseas returned with a yearning to create the types of lawns they had seen in England. Unfortunately English grass seed wasn’t suitable for the climate and native American grasses resulted in an untidy and uncontrollable lawn.
In 1915, the US Department of Agriculture began searching for just the right grass to create durable, attractive lawns that would suit all the different climates in America. Testing was carried out on bermuda grass from Africa, blue grass from Europe and a mix of fescues and bent grass.
It wasn’t until 1930 that the perfect combinations were found and the American lawn took off.
Here in New Zealand we have always aspired to create lush, green lawns, similar to lovely English ones.
Spring is almost here and if you want to sow or lay a new lawn, now is the perfect time to prepare your site.
Establishing a new lawn can be a very frustrating, even nerve-racking experience.
Whether you are sowing seed or laying down pre-grown lawn, the most important step in the process is site preparation.
If sowing seed into your existing soil, it will need to be cleared of any weeds, particularly perennial ones. This is best achieved by spraying with Roundup. Once the weeds are dead, rake them away from the area and get rid of any large clods of dirt and other debris such as rocks or stones.
If you garden organically, there are some good organic weed sprays available, or you can weed the area several times, getting rid of as many weeds as you possibly can.
Depending on the type of soil you have, it may be necessary to buy in new topsoil. It is vital that you get your topsoil from a good source, such as a reputable landscape supplier.
Before you buy the topsoil, ask about the history of it - where has it come from, has it been thoroughly screened to ensure it isn’t carrying weed seeds? There is nothing worse than sowing or laying a new lawn and finding it is full of weeds a few months later.
The next step is to fork over or rotary hoe the area to a depth of around 8cm until the soil is a fine tilth (resembling fine crumbs). Add new topsoil, if it is needed. If you want to you can sprinkle a pre-seed fertiliser. Follow the directions on the back of the pack and try to ensure you apply the correct amount for the size of your area.
Level the area slightly. A good way to do this is to rake it over, lightly tamp it with your feet and then leave it to settle for a few days.
It is important to choose the right grass seed for the situation. Take your time. Observe how the sun moves around the area you want to sow. Areas that get a lot of shade, for example, will need grass seed that will thrive in this situation, otherwise you may end up with a lot of moss and no lawn.
There are also different types for different uses. So you want a bowling green or is the lawn going to be in an area that will receive heavy foot traffic, or where children will playing?
It is easy to become confused with all the different brands and types of grass seed on the market. Check with your local garden centre or hardware store staff if you are unsure which is the best type for you.
On the day of sowing your seed, rake the area over again and sprinkle your chosen seed (check the application rates on the back of the pack) either by hand or using a seed spreader.
If you have access to a roller that is not too big and heavy, you can roll the area; otherwise lightly rake it again. This is so the seed comes into contact with the surface of the soil. Gently water the seed in until the soil is saturated.
It is a good idea to organise some sort of bird scaring material (CDs hanging from strings work well) as, even if you use seed with bird repellent in it, birds will still have a field day with your grass seed.
It’s a good idea to buy extra seed to patch any bare areas once the seed has germinated.
Continue to water it every day or so (dependent on the weather) as it is really important the area doesn’t dry out or the fragile new grass will die.
You can start mowing your new lawn when it has reached 3cm high. Take off just the top third of the growth and continue to mow this way for the next three months. This will help ensure your grass forms good strong roots.
These days we are lucky to have other options when it comes to new lawns. One of these is pre-grown lawn that is ready to be laid down.
It is easy to put in place and you get the satisfaction of seeing your new lawn instantly. Spring and autumn are the best times to lay it but with a bit of extra work and maintenance you can lay it at almost any time of the year. Sold by the metre, it can be used for all sorts of areas.
Preparation for laying is the same as for a sown lawn except the soil needs to be cultivated to a depth of around 100-150mm. If the soil is dry, water the area thoroughly before you lay down the lawn, then water it again so the lawn is wet through. Stamp or lightly roll it while it is still moist and trim any ragged edges.
The after-care is fairly crucial to its success, so if you are unsure of what to do talk to your supplier.
Lawns will continue to be an integral part of our outdoor living space. As our climate continues to change, having a lush healthy lawn can only become more of a challenge.
The good news is, grass is amazingly resilient. We only have to look at how well it recovers from our dry summers, going from being dry and brown to green and lush again.
Tags: amp, grass, grasses, landscape, lawns, plants, rta, soil, types of grass, walkway, walkways, weeds
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