Issue No.1 January 2012
In this issue:
(1) The History of the Lawn
(1) The History of the Lawn
(2) February
Lawn calendar for Low Desert Valleys
Feature Story
THE HISTORY OF THE LAWN.......
The word
"laune" is first attested in 1540,[] and is likely
related to the Celtic Brythonic word lan/llan/laun, which has the meaning
of enclosure, often in relation to a place of worship. Lawns as we know them,
may have originated as grassed enclosures within early medieval settlements
used for communal grazing of livestock, as distinct from fields reserved for agriculture. Lawns became popular with the aristocracy in
northern Europe from the middle Ages onward. The early lawns were not
always distinguishable from pasture fields. It is speculated the association
between the word "pasture" and biblical mentions made lawns a
cultural affinity for some. Lawns served as secure places were enemies could be
seen in the distance and when advancing, could be recognized more easily than
through dense upright vegetation.
Lawns were not
a part of gardens in other regions and cultures of the world until contemporary
influence.
Before the
invention of mowing machines in 1830, lawns were managed
very differently. They were an element of wealthy estates and manor houses,
and in some places were maintained by the labor-intensive methods of scything or shearing.
In most situations, they were also pasture land maintained through grazing by sheep or other livestock.
Areas of grass grazed regularly by rabbits,
horses
or sheep
over a long period often form a very low, tight sward similar to a modern lawn.
This was the original meaning of the word "lawn", and the term can
still be found in place names. Some forest areas where extensive grazing
is practiced still have these semi-natural lawns. For example, in the New Forest,
England,
such grazed areas are common, and are known as lawns, for example Balmer Lawn.
It was not until the Tudor and Elizabethan
times that the garden and the lawn became a place created first as walkways and
social areas. They were made up of meadow plants, such as chamomile,
a particular favorite. In the early 17th century, the Jacobean
epoch of gardening began; during this period, the closely cut
"English" lawn was born. By the end of this period, the English lawn
was a symbol of status of the aristocracy, wealth and gentry. William Kent
and Lancelot "Capability" Brown brought
the landscape garden style into popularity,
combining grassed areas within the total landscape as separate events. In the
1870s, lawns began to appear beyond affluent
properties and city parks. Most people had neither the hired
labor nor leisure time to cut a field of grass with scythes, and
most raised vegetables and flowers. During the Victorian era,
as more plants were introduced and available horticulturally in Europe, lawns
became smaller, as flower beds were created and filled with perennials,
sculptures, and water features. At the end of the 19th century, suburban development
with land around residences began.
With sprinkler
technology, improved and mass-produced lawn mowers,
new expectations about gardens, and a shorter working week, lawns came of age
in the U.S. and northern Europe. Through the 20th century, western landscape
influence brought the lawn to many parts of the world
FEBRUARY LAWN CALENDAR for Yuma, Tucson
and Phoenix:
By no later
than the end of February, it’s time to apply a pre-emergence herbicide which
prevents summer annual weeds from emerging in the lawn. While many o f these weeds can remain
so small that you won’t really see them until the weather “gets warmer” in April.......it’s important to control them
BEFORE they come out of the ground from seeds.
Pre-emergence by definition, stops a weed from emerging (it actually
germinates, but you don’t see that event occurring).
Grassy summer
annual weeds include southwest cup grass, (which many people think is
crabgrass, but it is not) stinkgrass, and to a lesser extent goose grass. The
main summer annual broadleaf weeds that emerge in the spring include the spurge
complex weeds, Many pre-emerge products
have much greater weed control on grassy
weeds, but some can inhibit spurge emergence when used t the high label rate.
There are some herbicide products that
are quite effective on broadleaf weed emergence, but they must be applied by a licensed
professional.
Some commonly available pre-emergence lawn
herbicides available include………
(prodiamine) Sold
mainly as Barricade or Evade.
(penimethalin Sold
as Prowl or Pre-Em, Pendulaqm Aqua-Cap
(oryzalin) Sold as
Surflan
(balan) Sold as Benefin
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of
May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Kirk A. Astroth, Interim Director, Cooperative Extension, College
of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Arizona. The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity,
affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran
status, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities.
