Artificial grass has been gaining ground—and a reputation for being eco-friendly because it doesn’t need water, fertilizer, or to be mowed. Does artificial grass offer salvation to drought-prone climates—or it is one of those inventions that will eventually end up in the too-good-to-be-true file?
Tell us in the comments section below.
Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.
Our London editor Christine Hanway’s backyard has lush green grass—real or fake?
Turf Grass Lawns: Drawbacks
If you have live grass, a Brass Turned Sprinkler will spray water into the air in a circular pattern, “for those parts of your garden where a rather narrow, but precision-adjustable sprinkling water radius is required,” notes Germany-based home and garden shop Manufactum.
The issues surrounding the environmental impact of real turf have caused some municipalities to restrict the size of lawns in new projects.
Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.
An aerial view of Christine Hanway’s London garden. If you stick with organic fertilizers and can tolerate a less-than-perfectly-green lawn, you don’t have to feel guilty about having a patch of real turf, she says.
Turf Grass Lawns: Benefits
Photograph courtesy of Rainwater Hog.
For more of Dominguez’s tips, see Ask the Expert: 7 Ways to Save Water in the Garden, from a Graywater Crusader.
A true outdoor carpet, artificial grass directly addresses the primary environmental concerns of real turf.
Artificial Grass: Benefits
Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.
We can’t ignore the aesthetic value of synthetic turf. Available in an array of blade lengths, colors, and textures (including variegated strands), the new generation of synthetic grass can fool most.
A lawn of artificial grass in SF-based architect Barbara Chambers’s garden.
Photograph by Liesa Johannssen for Gardenista.
They have come a long way with the design, texture, and color,” Chambers says, “There is no way you can tell my lawn is fake unless I confess.”
In Brooklyn homeowner Rony Vardi’s backyard has a lawn of artificial turf.
Photograph by Pia Ulin, courtesy of Bangia Agostinho Architecture.
While synthetic grass may look and feel like the real thing some simply can’t get past the fact that it’s plastic. And, while it is often made partially with recycled materials, it is not biodegradable.
Artificial Grass: Drawbacks
Nonplastic alternatives to real turf that will stand up to heavy foot traffic and offer soft landing for kids play areas...
Lawn Alternatives
...include wood mulch sometimes called playground chips ground covers that require little water and maintenance see Fields of Green: 5 Favorite Lawn Substitutes and decomposed granite see Low-Cost Luxury: 9 Ways to Use Decomposed Granite in a Landscape
Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.
Christine’s backyard terrace is carpeted with artificial grass, a surface that stands up to pets, teenage boys, and variable English weather.