Lawns

Lawns are areas of land covered with grasses kept short for aesthetic, recreational, and practical purposes. They are usually found in residential and public spaces and can serve as play surfaces, picnic areas, or visual foregrounds in landscapes.

Most lawns use cool-season grasses in temperate regions, such as Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescues, or warm-season grasses like Bermudagrass, Zoysia, and St. Augustine in warmer climates. Turfgrass selections depend on climate, soil, shade, and maintenance tolerance.

Historically, lawns emerged in Europe and North America as ornamental landscape features and became widespread with advances in mowing technology in the 19th century. In modern landscapes, lawns are maintained through regular mowing, irrigation, fertilization, aeration, dethatching, and sometimes pest and weed control, with practices varying by climate and use.

Maintenance aims to produce a dense, uniform turf while balancing resource use. Typical mowing heights range from about 1 to 3 inches, depending on species and use. Irrigation practices vary; overwatering can lead to disease and runoff. Fertilization schedules often emphasize gradual nitrogen release, and integrated pest management is encouraged to reduce chemical inputs.

Environmental considerations include water consumption, fertilizer and pesticide runoff, and biodiversity impacts. Lawns can be designed to reduce resource use by selecting drought-tolerant species, incorporating native grasses or groundcovers, or replacing portions with flowering meadows or pollinator habitats. These approaches are increasingly common in sustainable landscaping.