Lawn Mowing Design: Learn About Lawn Mowing Patterns

Few things are as satisfying as a pristine, carpet-like, perfect green lawn. You’ve worked hard to grow and maintain green, lush turf, so why not take it to the next level? Make mowing the yard more fun and creative by trying some lawn art patterns. Cutting a lawn in patterns makes the chore go by faster, and it keeps turf healthier and more attractive.

What is Lawn Pattern Landscaping?

A typical, freshly mowed lawn is patterned in back-and-forth stripes or maybe concentric rings. Sometimes, you’ll see diagonal stripes and a grid where the different directions of the mower meet. These are lawn mowing patterns, and they’re the basics.

There are important reasons to change up the pattern in which you mow:

• Going over the same areas again and again with mower wheels can kill or damage grass.
• Grass leans a certain way when you mow it, so continuing in the same pattern every time will emphasize this uneven growth.
• Cutting in the same pattern every time also can create longer stripes or patches of grass.

Ideas for Lawn Mowing Design

Cutting a lawn in patterns that are different each time doesn’t have to be fancy. You can simply change the direction of the concentric rings or change it up between diagonal and straight stripes. These simple changes will improve the health of the lawn and make it look more interesting.

Here are some other ideas for more creative, unique patterns you can mow into the lawn:

• Try mowing in concentric circles outward from trees and beds to create interesting swirling patterns as they overlap.
• Mow straight lines in one direction and then change direction to make lines at 90 degrees to the first set to create a checkerboard pattern.
• Use a similar strategy to make a diamond pattern. Mow in one direction and then in the other direction at an angle of about 45 degrees.
• Make waves in your grass by mowing back and forth in an undulating pattern.
• If you’re really into precision, try the wave pattern but with sharp lines and angles to get a zig-zag. This is one to try after you’ve mastered others. It will look sloppy if you can’t get the lines straight.

Mowing more complicated patterns take some practice, so you might want to experiment in your backyard first. For any pattern, begin by cutting one stripe around all the edges. This will give you spots to turn and will even out any tricky corners before you get down to pattern making.