Lawn Care for the Expat: A Great Way to Make Friends
One of the things we learn about moving overseas is how other cultures are different to our own. We expect there to be language differences—even within the same language, such as English. We expect the currency to be different, the school systems, the food in grocery stores, the clothing shops, and we expect everyday life to be different. But one area we don’t often think about is home and garden style. Growing plants in another country, such as vegetable gardening, can be a new and interesting hobby. Another area of difference is lawn care.
While many expats prefer to rent or buy a flat because of the lower maintenance costs and time, many expats also need more space or enjoy the prospect of gardening and outdoor entertaining in their host country. Houses around the world often houses have a patch of grass in front of them or in the back, an area for kids to run round on or for families to entertain.
Lawns originated in England in the 13th century, where the climatic conditions are the best in the world for growing short cut grass. This idea quickly extended to Western and Middle Europe where the conditions are similar, and eventually to North America, Australia and New Zealand where conditions vary. In fact, anywhere there has been a European colony there has been an attempt to establish lawns with mixed results.
The original purposes of the lawns were for sports and display, and as a result they were usually in larger spaces. Today their use is much the same but lawns can be found even on the smallest spaces, certainly in the UK.
Joining a local gardening club or simply asking the neighbours how they keep their garden and lawn are a great way to integrate and learn more about your host country. Your neighbours will appreciate your desire to take care of your property and they may welcome the possibility of meeting you and getting to know you better as well. One of the expat’s most difficult trials when moving overseas is often meeting people. Gardening and lawn care and learning from the locals how best to garden in their area are a great way to make friends in the host country.