Why do we spend thousands of dollars a year watering, fertilizing, and obsessing over grass that serves no real purpose?

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In this episode, we unpack the surprisingly strange history of the front lawn. What started as an aristocratic flex in Europe became one of the most expensive and environmentally damaging traditions in modern America. From French and English nobles who proved their wealth by not growing food, to the invention of the lawnmower, to how World War II chemicals and Cold War politics turned grass into a symbol of patriotism, the modern lawn is anything but natural.

Along the way, we dig into garden hermits, hidden ditches, fake green lawns, HOA rules, clover propaganda, and why cutting grass is literally making it scream. By the end of this episode, you will never look at a front yard the same way again.

This episode covers:

• Why lawns began as a status symbol for European aristocracy

• How the lawnmower changed society and fueled suburban expansion

• The surprising connection between World War II, chemicals, and green grass

• How HOAs and suburbia enforced lawn culture in America

• The environmental cost of lawns, from water use to emissions

• Why clover was rebranded as a weed

• The bizarre psychology behind why we still care so much about grass

French People Are Rude is produced by The Tour Guy, Europe’s top marketplace for tours and experiences. If you want to see the original royal lawns that started it all, including Versailles and other iconic European estates, check out our tours at thetourguy.com.