Before the advent of the lawnmower, grass maintenance and lawn care were handled very differently. In the early days of the United States, not everybody owned their own lawns, so to the commoner the issue of lawn care was not something they spent time thinking about. However, those who were wealthy learned very early on that nature can sometimes be the best worker. Rather than have the lawn tended to by laborers of any kind, they would let their livestock graze. Over time, as the animals continued to graze on the lawn, they would create a grazed area that resembled a modern day lawn. In fact, if you look in certain forests, you will still be able to find these "lawns" where animals often graze.

Grass itself is also important. One of the most adaptable and longest lasting forms of plant life on the planet Earth, having outlasted the dinosaurs. Grass can be found everywhere from rain forests, to deserts to mountains and even glaciers. In Iceland, many homes have grass on their roofs, and in the United States and Canada (as well as several European nations) the appearance of grass in one's lawn is considered a sign of responsibility to yourself, your home and your neighborhood.

When you consider the true importance to grass, consider this: Life could not exist without it. This fact was illustrated in Samuel Youd's novel "The Death of Grass", which deals with the idea of a virus that kills off all forms of grass. In the aftermath, the world's crops begin to die and the civilized world is thrown into chaos. In reality, however, the effects would be a little more widespread should the grass ever die off. Grass is a major supplier of Earth's oxygen, as are trees. Grass also filters the air we breathe of any dangerous pollutants.