A History of Lawns
Your front lawn is what invites visitors into your home, and your backyard is where you host your summer BBQs, family events and daily outdoor activities. So, of course you want these spaces to look their best. Lawns have been around for hundreds of years, and practices surrounding how we seed and manicure these lawns have changed throughout these years. In this blog, we will dive into the history of lawns, seeding methods and the modern marvels of Terraseeding and Hydroseeding – your ticket to the perfect lawn!
Lawns Throughout History
We wouldn’t be doing lawns justice if we didn’t take it back to our roots (ha, get it?). Traditional seeding methods go back hundreds of years and, of course, began as a means for agricultural practices. However, the lawns we know began as a way for medieval castles to have unobstructed views of surrounding areas so that guards could properly see any visitors long before they got to the gates. These wide-open, low-maintenance spaces developed into the manicured lawns and gardens of wealthy families in 16th-century France and England.
When these families moved to North America, they brought their fancy lawns with them. Thanks to Scottish immigrants, though, lawns became accessible to the common folk through community bowling and golf greens. As cities grew and industrialization started to take place, efforts to keep cities and suburbs green meant lawns became a staple to households, and urban parks started to pop up as well.
Nowadays, we find it unusual when a home doesn’t come with some sort of lawn space. Many methods for keeping lawns beautiful exist, and it all starts with seeding. You can hand seed, broadcast seed, drill seed or all of the above. But why not work smarter, not harder, and use advanced seeding methods?
Terraseeding
Terraseeding is the best way to seed your lawn if you don’t already have existing nutrient rich soil. With Terraseeding, we insert grass seed into a growing medium as it is distributed using our blower trucks. This method plants the grass instead of just laying it on top, ensuring the seeds take root where they should be.
By embedding the seeds in the soil, we are helping lay a foundation with a nutrient density that will allow your lawn to grow evenly and healthily. Added bonus? Terraseeding is incredible for erosion control. If you have a sloped lawn or even want to stop your lawn from eroding during the fall and winter rains, this is an excellent option. This is a non-invasive, one-step process where the grass seeds will germinate quickly. Within 3-4 weeks you will have a luscious lawn.
Hydroseeding
Hydroseeding is a method where instead of injecting seed into a growing medium, we spray seed that is mixed with water, fiber, and fertilizer on top of a well-established soil. This slurry is applied using our blower trucks, ensuring even coverage across the entire area. The fiber in the mix helps retain moisture and protect the seeds, promoting rapid germination. This popular method is cost effective; however, we recommend that you only use this method if you have an established growing medium in place. You will also want to be on a weather watch when booking this, as it can wash away in the rain.
Both Terraseeding and Hydroseeding can be done on a large- or small-scale basis. While we might not use our lawns to protect castles, our lawns are an important piece of our lives, being the foundation of outdoor events in the summer, spaces for quiet or extravagant socialization opportunities and our overall home environment.
