The Forgiveness of Nature by Graham Harvey

Subtitled The Story of Grass, this is a fascinating account of how grasses have evolved with humans and the role they have played in agriculture, gardens and sports.

The book looks at how nomadic people have depended on grasslands for their livestock and modern forms of pastoral farming, including the best ways of looking after pasture to ensure the health of both animals and soil. It looks at how science now helps groundskeepers look after the grasses that form the pitches for football and tennis and which grass species to choose and why. The author looks at the history of gardening and the changing fashions around lawns in suburban gardens and extensive grasslands in country estates. There's also a section on the history of the lawn mower.

Everything you want to know about the human relationship with grass is probably covered in this book.

The Forgiveness of Nature by Graham Harvey published by Vintage (2002).