Lavish Landscape Gardening and the Beloved British Lawn Stripe

Naturally, when considering the rich history of lawns and British horticulture, the great British lawn stripe is an iconic part of landscape gardening that always springs to mind.

Today, the quintessential British lawn stripe can be seen showcased in a range of settings, ranging from grand heritage estates to smaller, intimate gardens and the iconic Wembley Stadium and Wimbledon centre court.

But where did the style originate? And how simple is it to achieve this trademarked look at home?

Emerging in the 17^th and 18^th century as a signifier of wealth and status, immaculately maintained grass lawns were a luxury that could only be afforded by affluent landowners. As the pristine appearance of these lawns was dependent on the labour of multiple landscapers, required to frequently weed and trim the areas of grassland by hand, only the wealthiest classes could afford to keep their lawns looking picture perfect. These tireless efforts helped to create the neatest surroundings and the perfect venue for lavish parties, sporting events and family gatherings to ensue.

With the arrival of the 19^th century came lawnmowing technology, which streamlined the landscaping process and made maintaining a well-manicured lawn easier than ever before. Invented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding, the first lawnmower was of course far more efficient than using shears and scythes and the technology soon became widely adopted to tidy sports grounds and grand gardens.

Edwin Beard Budding conceptualised the first mower when he saw a machine used to remove excess wool from cloth inside a cloth mill that rapidly removed bobbles, leaving the fabric with a smooth surface. With the idea to use rotating blades, Budding wanted to create a device that would easily trim grass blades to create a clean aesthetic. Although functional and impressive for the time, the machine was also heavy, difficult to manoeuvre and didn’t deliver a high level of accuracy in terms of grass cutting, leading to others innovating within the field.

When it comes to modern landscape gardening, achieving that fresh, crisp striped finish with today’s rotary mower models is unsurprisingly a far more enjoyable and seamless experience. If you’re looking to replicate that enviable British Hayter® stripe, it’s essential to opt for a high-performing cylinder mower that features very low cutting settings such as the Harrier 41 Cordless. Creating effortlessly beautiful, professional-standard stripes, the Harrier 41 includes a two-piece real roller that turns smoothly at the end of each pass, making light work of your lawn striping task.

To emulate the stunning British lawns seen on extravagant estates and famous sporting venues, begin with the edges of the lawn working from the right side, mowing up and down to create a straight line. Next, follow the initial line created, taking care to make sure your Harrier front wheel are slightly overlapping the edge of the previous stripe, the Trim Side deck design of the Harrier deck allows of better visibility and to cut right up to the lawn edge. To ensure the final result is polished and magazine-ready, pre-cut the edges of your lawn as necessary using Toro’s 60V Grass strimmer or shears to remove overhanging grass. By doing this step first, you can then easily pick up the clippings with your lawn mower, saving you time and effort!

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