Read on Twitter
Lawns
some further thoughts on history,
Hortus conclusus, Latin, “enclosed garden”
Kölner Maler um 1430 (Wikipedia)
some further thoughts on history,
Hortus conclusus, Latin, “enclosed garden”
Kölner Maler um 1430 (Wikipedia)
If you google search “lawn + history” you will find various claims that lawns date back to 12th century Hortus conclusus
Piero de’ Crescenzi, Liber ruralium commodorum (1305-09)
describes a pleasure garden of a Hortus conclusus
Piero de’ Crescenzi, Liber ruralium commodorum (1305-09)
describes a pleasure garden of a Hortus conclusus
https://catena.bgc.bard.edu/texts/crescenzi.pdf
secentur bis in anno prata viridarii ut pucra permaneant =
The meadows are cut twice a year to attain permanent garden
secentur bis in anno prata viridarii ut pucra permaneant =
The meadows are cut twice a year to attain permanent garden
prata viridarii = meadows garden
prata = meadows
viridarii = tree garden
The latin meaning is clear the grass in Hortus conclusus was a short meadow cut twice in summer.
We can see that in Kölner Maler um 1430 painting, a diverse herb rich meadow with shrubs / trees.
prata = meadows
viridarii = tree garden
The latin meaning is clear the grass in Hortus conclusus was a short meadow cut twice in summer.
We can see that in Kölner Maler um 1430 painting, a diverse herb rich meadow with shrubs / trees.
No Latin exists for lawn as a lawn is a product of wet Atlantic edge NW Europe rainfall / climate.
Hence the likely Breton Lann origin.
laune in about 1540 in England is the earliest use of lawn in a garden, from launde (1300) a forest glade / lawn
Hence the likely Breton Lann origin.
laune in about 1540 in England is the earliest use of lawn in a garden, from launde (1300) a forest glade / lawn
New Forest ponies grazing a New Forest Lawn.
wiki commons: geni GFDL CC-BY-SA
wiki commons: geni GFDL CC-BY-SA
Lawns similar to those of today first appeared in France and England in the 1700s when André Le Nôtre designed the gardens of Versailles that included a small area of grass called the tapis vert, or "green carpet".
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
They were cut by scythes, an expensive skilled labour intensive job so restricted to the rich. Lawn mower invented 1830, functional by 1860.
Tennis was first played on a croquet lawn in 1859, bowls is perhaps the oldest sport with a lawn like green, 13th century in England, Southampton Old Bowling Green dates to 1299.
This is my take on the history, lawn does not have a Latin root as it is a NW Europe derivation of ancient grazed forest glades, and not a Hortus conclusus monastic revival gardens such as Monte Cassino in i1070 created in Roman garden ruins.
Georgina Masson observed, "the garden was described as 'a paradise in the Roman fashion'", it may have been merely "the aura of the great classical tradition" alone that had survived.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
This fits with agricultural and ecological knowledge grass grows better in UK, NW France, Ireland, Netherlands than elsewhere in Europe, mild, wet, long gowing season, not suprising the lawn derived from a natural forest glade in this region.
Garden grass elsewhere was a short herb rich meadow, with a history into Roman, Persian, Moor influences.
Time to make your own “pleasure garden” with scent, sight of herbs amidst lawn grass?
Time to make your own “pleasure garden” with scent, sight of herbs amidst lawn grass?
As an aside
As early as the 6th century BC the ancient Greeks are recorded to have played a game of tossing coins, then flat stones, and later stone balls, called spheristics, trying to have them go as far as possible. The ancient Romans modified the game by adding a target
As early as the 6th century BC the ancient Greeks are recorded to have played a game of tossing coins, then flat stones, and later stone balls, called spheristics, trying to have them go as far as possible. The ancient Romans modified the game by adding a target
that had to be approached as closely as possible. This Roman variation was brought to Provence by Roman soldiers and sailors. A Roman sepulchre in Florence shows people playing this game, stooping down to measure the points.
After the Romans, the stone balls were replaced by
After the Romans, the stone balls were replaced by
wooden balls. In the Middle Ages, Erasmus referred to the game as globurum in Latin, but it became commonly known as boules (i.e. 'balls'), and it was played throughout Europe
Bowling greens have very old roots.
A dusty flat maybe bare bit of ground eventually became a smooth cut grass lawn?
I will let golf people argue for Netherlands dune “Links” short turf greens being another early lawn like short sward, but I suspect bowling greens earlier. Yes Scotland is not where golf originated (probably) which being part Flemish annoys me, sand dune destroyer it is.
Great link for lawn scything https://scythecymru.co.uk/2020/05/19/mowing-a-lawn-with-a-scythe/
I found this to be a helpful source
http://www.gardenhistorymatters.com/2012/02/mediaeval-gardens.html
http://www.gardenhistorymatters.com/2012/02/mediaeval-gardens.html
I know little Latin have used translator websites / dictionaries so if anybody knows lawn in Latin I would be pleased to know.
Although NW Europe is particularly favoured for grass growth lawns can be found throughout Europe, places like the Palatine Hill they amongst ruins which had pleasure gardens, now wild orchids were Senators lived
The Farnese Gardens were one of the first European botanical gardens https://www.througheternity.com/en/blog/hidden-sights/farnese-aviaries-renaissance-palatine-hill-ancient-rome.html
Lawns need water, they are now found in places like Palm Springs California in deserts, irrigated, green, a long way from a forest glade
The Farnese gardens
In the tradition of Hortus conclusus
The Neat House gardens in Pimlico
Neat House gardens were Netherlandish spade cultivators, an old tradition of market gardening, intensive, productive
Looks like meadows were enjoyed for rest and pleasure
Note two types of historic tree management, a shredded tree next to a pollard
shredded tree had side branches cut off (could be tree leaf fodder for livestock) looks like a lollypop tree, very common in Flemish art, Rackham mentions them for UK
