You might have used the terms ‘yard’ and ‘lawn’ interchangeably, without giving much thought to what they actually entail.
What is a Lawn
A lawn is a form of ground cover that consists of grass. It has a variety of uses, but in general it is simply used as an area where people can walk or play on.
The term lawn is often used interchangeably with the term park, which refers to an area that is open to the public and may contain grass but also other types of plant life.
Lawns are typically maintained by mowing, fertilizing, watering and occasionally using pesticides.
Lawns have long been considered the epitome of suburban living and are usually found in residential areas. However, many parks and other public places contain grassy areas for people to walk on or enjoy.
What is a Yard
A yard in a home is the area of land surrounding a house. It can be used for gardening or for leisure activities such as walking or playing.
In the United States, most homes have one front yard and one back yard. The front yard is usually smaller than the back yard and closer to the street.
The back yard is larger, more private, and often has trees or other landscaping features that make it more attractive for outdoor activities.
Yard vs Lawn
Lawns are larger than yards and are generally found on the periphery of a property. Yard is a smaller area, usually located at the center of the property.
The word “yard” is used in American English to denote an enclosed space that may be used for various activities.
It is often used interchangeably with “garden” or “greenhouse”, but it is different from them as it has no walls or fences surrounding it. It can also be referred to as a garden, backyard or patio.
The word “lawn”, on the other hand, refers to a large grassy area that can be seen in front of houses or buildings, especially those located in suburban areas.
The word is also interchangeable with the term “grassland” and may refer to any grassy area that is not cut short by human intervention such as mowing it down.
In Australia, lawns are often referred to as paddocks. This term was borrowed from horse racing where horses were kept in an enclosure before being let out into a race track for training purposes or actual races.
A lawn can also refer to a single piece of grass if it has been cut short enough so that it resembles a carpet rather than a field of grass.
It can also refer to any type of cultivated lawn like turfgrass or ornamental grasses if they have been groomed into neat rows and patterns by professional landscapers using mulching techniques or cutting tools such as string trimmers.