Colonial Lawns and Lessons Learned



In colonial times they used large scythes to cut the grass and after they cut it they had to rake up the clippings. That messed up the lawn, thus had to bring in a heavy roller made of stone to pack it all back down. It was a lot of work. Today because we have a lawnmower we don't need a large labor force but back then a lawn provided a whole different impression. Joe notices, when looking more closely, that the lawn, although nice, lush and green is filled with clover. Lawns in the 18th century weren't golf course quality, they were more like flowery meads. But clover and other plants provide a nice green color in the real heat and drought of summer, thus not a bad thing. In fact, by design, that is what Laura has in her backyard and thinks it's a great ground cover.

Joe and Laura find a nice place to sit and cool off, the pleached arbor. It is similar to what we saw earlier in the show but on a smaller scale, something most could manage on their own. Laura believes that the lesson learned today is to start small, divide your property into different sections, into more manageable pieces, create unity and harmony with enclosure, using similar materials and similar colors. Create unity and start small, those are her thoughts for our audience.

Thanks Laura, we throughly enjoyed Colonial Williamsburg. The property is fantastic, the people involved with it, superb. A great experience. We hope many in our audience will have the opportunity to visit.