The Green Grass Grows All Around A Comprehensive Study of the American Lawn

Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Johnson, Robert

Keywords

Lawns, Environmental History, Landscaping, American Vernacular

Area of Concentration

Environmental Studies

Abstract

The lawn is America�s most familiar and common landscape, encompassing enough land to completely cover a state as large as Florida. This thesis approaches this dominant landscape from a number of different perspectives. It begins by examining the environmental consequences of our nation�s lawn devotion, looking specifically at its most prominent inputs including pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation and equipment. It then surveys the lawn�s history, addressing how the lawn came to dominate the American landscape. It explores the evolution of the lawn in American pop culture by analyzing the lawn�s place in the media, specifically looking at its role in "The Great Gatsby," "Leave it to Beaver," "I Love Lucy," "King of the Hill," and "Over the Hedge." Later it approaches the aesthetic standards held to the lawn-dominated landscape, specifically investigating the landscaping regulations imposed on the deed-restricted community of Celebration, Florida. Finally, it addresses the lawn�s most viable alternatives and the opportunities to change our nation�s unsustainable landscape preferences.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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