Mowing or growing – what is best?
Here, at Tree & Lawn Company Ltd headquarters, we recently read an article that piqued our interest. It was by Max Colchester and was printed in the Wall St Journal last year. In the paper, it was declared that a ‘Lawn War’ was happening in England. This arose between British horticulturist and broadcaster, Monty Don OBE, and David Hedges-Gower, English lawn consultant, author and chairman of the Lawn Association. To mow or not to mow – that is the question! Mowing or growing – what is best?
The history of British lawns
Britain pioneered the well-kept lawn back in the 17th century. Originally, aristocrats employed men with scythes. The invention of mowing machines in the 19th century, and the Industrial Revolution, spurred a romanticised vision for the perfect English garden. Britain then became synonymous with neat and tidy grass and lawns.
Wild is wonderful
On mowing or growing, Monty Don asked British men to halt their “obsession” with closely cropped lawns. He warned that it “burns lots of fossil fuel, makes a filthy noise, and is about the most injurious thing you can do to wildlife. The dinosaurs are the ones clinging to 1950s idea of the perfect lawn.”
We’re all getting used to terms like, “re-wilding.” and “managed messiness”. We also heard from Trevor Dines, a botanical specialist at Plantlife, an organisation that promotes meadows and the the #NoMowMay campaign, “A square meter of lawn left to flower can support three honeybees.”
Mr Don has some very strong arguments for the ‘No-mow’ stance, as well as some influential allies, especially Prince Charles. To celebrate his mother’s 60th anniversary as Queen in 2013, and to protect wildflowers, the Prince launched a project called “Coronation Meadows”. Hugo Rittson Thomas published a book, last year, called “Wildflowers for the Queen”. It featured several of Prince Charles’ photos of meadows resulting from the project. Wild can really be wonderful!
Neat is nicer
Mowing or growing – that is the question and David Hedges-Gower is quoted as saying, “Well-maintained lawns are under assault”. And, “Lawns have a big part to play in our world. The ill-education from celebrity gardeners is unbearable.”
Surprisingly, the majority of the UK general public, especially during the pandemic, have really warmed to the idea of a well-kept lawn. The sale of lawn movers increased enormously!
Austin Jarrett, managing director of British lawn-mower manufacturer Allett Limited, declared sales were up by 200%. He has since hired social-media influencers to spread the word about the joys of a fine lawn. He says of Celebrity gardeners, “they clearly know nothing about lawns.” In this camp, nothing is nicer than a neat lawn.
Mr Jarrett runs an annual competition to find the best striped lawn.
Pro-mow or No-mow – where do you stand?
To mow or not to mow – that is the question!