Why are these two Swedish islands competing which has the ugliest lawn?

An unusual challenge with environmental benefits

Region Gotland, the government of the remote Swedish island, launched a somewhat unusual competition two years ago – awarding the ugliest local lawn. What’s more, the idea found fertile ground in other parts of Sweden as well where similar competitions also sprang up. The latest of these is this summer’s challenge in which the other large Swedish island, Öland, is throwing the glove across the Baltic Sea to Gotland to compare which of the two regions is the home of the unsightliest lawn.

If you’re already confused by this quirky Nordic trend, you are not alone. However, there’s a logical explanation and it has to do with care for the environment in the summer. And more specifically, with water conservation.

The global average temperature for the last thirteen months is the highest ever recorded on Earth. It is a worrying and serious development and reminds us that we need to be extra careful about the usage of groundwater. Watering the lawns in summer just to keep its grass extra green and pristine is quickly turning into a wasteful luxury that serves no particular purpose.

In that sense, letting your lawn dry up and get all patchy and sunburnt is a way of showing that you conserve water and that you’re letting nature run its course.

Being best at not watering the grass

You may also wonder why would Swedish people, with their plentiful water resources up there in the north and much milder temperatures even in summer, be so concerned about water conservation.

The reality is that like most islands around the world, both Öland and Gotland are much more vulnerable to the rise of temperatures and arid conditions since they don’t have large rivers or lakes to rely on.

“Now we have the chance to show that Gotland is the best at not watering lawns. The people of Gotland are well equipped and have many years of training and good knowledge of garden smoothing and water saving,” says Mimmi Gibson, Region Gotland.

Klara Johansson, Borgholm Energi, the Öland rep sang the praises of her island’s inhabitants in response: “We have practised with irrigation bans for several years now, it is time to take up the fight. I absolutely believe that the winning lawn is on Öland, now we just have to find it.”

May the ugliest lawn win!