It’s no secret that we love our lawns in America. Having that beautiful, green expanse of grass has become somewhat of a status symbol and putting effort into maintaining your lawn is an admirable trait that shows you care. Often times, we compare our own lawns to those who live nearby. Is our grass as green? Are the edges trimmed as neatly? These are the questions we ask ourselves as we strive for that seemingly out of reach perfect lawn. But what about the rest of the world? Do other cultures have lawns? If they do, do they care as much as we do? Just for kicks, we did some research to find out how lawns are viewed in various parts of the world, enjoy!
Australia
If anyone loves lawns as much as us Americans, it’s the Aussies. According to IBISWorld Report, the lawn care industry is worth 3 billion dollars, which seems small if you compare it to the 76 billion lawn care market in America but keep in mind, Australia’s population is a lot smaller so we’re only looking at about a 34% difference. These numbers actually place Australia in second place after America and no other country has come quite as close. The lawn care industry in Australia is still not quite a match for ours but Australians take pride in a good looking yard, just as we do.
Canada
According to Statistics Canada, the lawn care industry in Canada is valued at 2 billion dollars, not far behind Australia. Around 11% of Canadians over age 30 spend time working on their lawn so it’s definitely not reaching to say that gardening is a popular pastime in Canada. Three quarters of residents in Canada have a lawn and those who don’t likely live in Quebec and British Columbia where apartment living is more typical. Canada’s lawn care industry is quickly growing and rose by 600 million from just 2002 to 2006. Not bad, eh?
United Kingdom
The lawn industry in the U.K comes in 4th and is valued at just over 600 million dollars. Residents in the United Kingdom have traditionally put a lot of time into having and maintaining lawns (lawns are a European invention after all) but things are starting to change as a younger more urban population starts to rise and flat dwelling becomes standard practice. Those who do choose to keep a lawn and garden typically are a little bit older and rely on the service of professionals such as the ones TaskEasy provides because maintaining a lawn by yourself isn’t easy!
Malaysia
On this one, we take a drastic jump to a part of the world where gardening and maintaining a lawn simply is not a part of everyday life for most people. Those living in city areas tend to have very busy lives and making time for gardening just isn’t something most people do. Add onto that the small amount of space reserved for properties due to overpopulation and it’s easy to understand why gardening just isn’t a viable option for most people in Malaysia. Some rural areas will have farms and lawns but most extra space is dedicated to farming crops. As living standards improve, this may change.
Russia
In Russia, people rely more on having gardens than lawns and in fact, a whopping 50% of Russia’s entire agricultural output is from backyard gardens. One in three residents have their own personal garden and relies on it to feed their family. It’s actually pretty amazing how self-sufficient people can be when it comes to growing your own food and I think a lot of us could take notes from the Russians on this one. The lawns that we know in the US are usually seen as more of a luxury item in Russia and are primarily associated with the wealthy.
Brazil
The lack of gardening or having a lawn in Brazil is less due to limited space and more due to a culture where do-it-yourself just isn’t the norm. In some cases, people are starting to take advantage of the naturally abundant vegetation and are taking on lawns and gardens but in most cases help is outsourced. We can’t really fault them for that, why take care of if yourself if a professional will do it for you? South America in general has great potential for homes with beautiful lawns because of the climate and vast vegetation already in place.
We picked just a handful of places to show you how different cultures view lawns, if they even exist at all. It’s quite amazing how areas can be so drastically different and yet the concept of a lawn remains mostly the same wherever you are. The biggest takeaway? Don’t take that gorgeous lawn of yours for granted because it is indeed a luxury and something that should be enjoyed, and maintained year-round. If you need help with the maintaining part, we’ve got you covered!
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