Tuesday, March 21, 5:00 am – 6:30 am (but recorded) – Garden Technology: Scythes to Cyber, 150 Years of the Mower, Online
This is the fifth lecture in a six-week series of lectures which will look at the history and development of garden technology from Medieval times right up to the present day. The ‘technology’ of gardening has developed enormously over the past centuries due to mechanization, automation, advances in science – and we can now grow plants without soil, we have automated watering systems for our greenhouses and we can watch while the robot mower, controlled from our smartphones, trims our lawns to perfection. But although we may approach them differently, the tasks and challenges that face gardeners today are much the same as they were back in Tudor times and earlier: preparing the soil, planting, protecting, composting, propagating and so on and so on. The rise in the organic movement over the past few decades has reminded us that the gardeners of old knew at least as much about gardening and working in harmony with nature as we do now, so how have new technologies developed and progressed our gardening knowledge, practice, and techniques?
The Gardens Trust has engaged a series of expert speakers to examine this question, including the renowned garden writer and designer, Noel Kingsbury, National Trust curator James Rothwell, expert on lawnmowers through the ages Keith Wootton, as well as regular Gardens Trust lecturers Jill Francis and our very own David Marsh; who will take a different technology in turn – tools, fertilizers, pest control, glasshouses, lawnmowers and plant breeding – and explore their history and development in relation to gardening. Tickets £24 or £5 each. Register through Eventbrite HERE. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk (If you do not receive this link please contact us). A link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 1 week.
The invention of the lawn mower just before the dawn of the Victorian era helped to transform our landscapes. For the first time it was possible to manage large areas of grass efficiently and economically. The growth of urban parks, organized sport, and gardening as a leisure activity among others were all aided by this simple invention. It is possible that the inventor of the mower would recognize some features of modern machines. But in reality, the lawn mower has undergone significant changes in the last 190 years. From the original design, through animal, steam, petrol, and electric power to the autonomous “cyber mowers” of today this talk will touch upon the key innovations and developments.
Keith Wootton founded The Old Lawnmower Club in 1990 with a small group of like-minded enthusiasts. The club now has almost 700 members around the world, mostly in the UK but also from many commonwealth and EU countries. Its simple objective is to promote the collection, preservation, and display of old mowers. Members of the club attend garden shows, museum events, and vintage rallies throughout the UK to support these aims. Now President of the club, Keith has over the years presented on the history of the lawn mower to numerous clubs and societies and taken part in several TV and radio shows.
