Why, how and when did the Victorians Cut Grass?
The nineteenth century was the century of the new. A significant period for gardening in Britain. There were new tools for cutting, pruning digging and weeding. The lawnmower was invented in 1831 by Edward Beard Budding (1796-1846), an engineer in a textile factory who adapted a cloth-shearing machine to provide the perfect smooth lawn. In 1842 he invented the adjustable spanner. The large mower on great estates was pulled by a horse wearing leather shoes, to protect the close cut sward. The smaller version was easy to push and adopted throughout the country in small city gardens. The Horticultural Society became Royal in 1861 when Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert (1819-1861), obtained a charter for what we now know as the RHS. Plant hunting became fashionable and was sponsored by wealthy gardeners, nurserymen and the Royal Horticultural Society. The plant hunters themselves were knowledgeable and worked hard against all odds sending back to Britain a flood o