The turfgrass in landscape and landscaping

O gramado na paisagem e no paisagismo

Abstract

Turfgrasses have become an essential element in the world landscape, due to their aesthetic, environmental and agricultural values. Since prehistory, specifically in the age of dinosaurs, grass pollens have been reported by historians, as well as African tribes have used grass species around their villages for hunting and defending enemies. Medieval castles were surrounded with grass to better visualize the horizon of the fortress and the lookout of those who approached it. Over the years, seeds were disseminated to various parts of the world, and the lawn began to be reported in books on botany, and its use in gardens began to gain notoriety. Thus, grass species became part of the population’s daily life, from the Renaissance to the contemporary-modern period, and make up elements of the garden landscape (residential and private) cemeteries, parks, sports fields, roadside, and more recently, on green roofs. In Brazil, with the enhancement of landscaping and the arrival of several types of turfgrasses, the lawn has become a requirement in the construction of a garden. Currently in the Brazilian market, there are thirteen registered different species of turf, which have characteristics and particularities for their use in the constitution of the landscape and landscaping.

Keywords:
grass; landscaping composition; lawn; lawn history; turf