Can Technology Save the Lawn?

We’re confused.

If we love our lawns so much, why do we hate them so much?

Almost as quickly as Americans adopted the mass-marketed lawn, we started trying to figure out how to control it. Americans have spent trillions (yes, Trillions) of dollars over the last 100 years trying to put our unnatural lawns under control.

Read Why Lawns Are So Much Trouble

But finally, maybe, we’re ready for change? Perhaps technology can save the lawn! Let’s take a look.

The Jetsons

The emergence of robotic lawn mowers isn’t our first foray into exploring technology’s role in beating back the traditional turf grass lawn. In fact, we’ve been applying our technological prowess to the lawn since the 1830’s - almost 200 years!

The lawn mower was invented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding, an engineer from Stroud, Gloucestershire, England. Today, the largest lawnmower company, Ransomes, licensed the Budding technology in the 1850’s and has been making lawnmowers ever since.

So much engineering! So many factories! So many worn-out machines! Is there no end?

Plastics will save us

Wouldn’t it be great to have a lawn that stayed perfectly green all year?

And that didn’t care that you have too much shade or too much water?

Or that didn’t mind leaves falling on it?

And that you never, ever had to mow, fertilize, aerate, or treat for grubs?

Viola! Home Depot and Lowe’s has a solution. There’s even a pet-friendly version.

‘Original’ Lawn Technology

Well, here at WildLawn, we like lawns. We love lawns.

We just don’t love lawnmowers or having to use them. And the idea of artificial turf in the front yard just seems like were giving up on the planet’s future (see Interstellar).

Why not just revisit what Mother Earth offers as the ‘original’ lawn technology?

Awesome short grasses. And a few flowers.

Our ‘new’ lawn technology is actually the oldest lawn technology. Plants. Plants that grow low, look good, and heal the planet instead of harming it.