I've said it before. In the old days, a neatly cropped verge around your home spoke of grazing animals. Lots of grazing animals. And grazing animals were wealth on the hoof. So, the modern affinity for a neatly cropped lawn is a post-pastoral pissing contest over who has more.
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-surprising-benefits-of-switching-to-lamb-mowers