You may not have thought of considering using faux grass (also known as artificial grass) at your home, but there are some very sound reasons why it should be given serious consideration. For one thing, think of all the pollution being belched into the air in neighborhoods where lawn mowers are in daily operation, and think of all the water being sprayed on those same lawns, often even in climates where severe drought conditions have made water scarce.
While having a natural lawn can provide a satisfying connection to nature, the regular maintenance of that lawn may in fact be seriously damaging the very environment you’re trying to connect with.
There is very little maintenance necessary with a faux grass lawn, and it always looks wonderfully appealing, even in arid regions of the country. Anyone discouraged by the cost of installing an artificial lawn should remember that the cost of regular lawn maintenance accumulates steadily over the years, and will eventually surpass the cost of the faux grass lawn. By contrast, once your artificial lawn is installed, there are virtually no costs for the next 15-25 years.
There are also endless possibilities for enhancing artificial lawns and highlighting them so that, instead of being background components of your outdoor living space, they become talked-about and admired centerpieces. Here are five of the very best ideas, in no particular order, for this kind of winter lawn spruce-up.
1 – Add life to a shady patio
If you have a patio that always seems to be in the shade, and real grass simply will not grow well, installing fake grass might be the perfect answer. You can walk out barefoot and feel very comfortable, you’ll never have to water or mow the patch, and it will look much better than the undernourished, sun-starved grass that’s adding no aesthetic appeal to your patio setting.
2 – Use a non-linear design
Lawns don’t need to be configured in a perfect square or rectangle, and they don’t necessarily have to hug the linear dimensions of the house, the driveway, and the sidewalk. Be a little creative and install your own imaginative designs in the yard, with appealing fake grass shapes that fill in around other materials like washed stone or other landscaping elements such as flower beds or vegetable garden boxes. You could also extend the creative motif with some modern comfortable seating that will have visitors buzzing about your retreat-like space.
3 – Interlace faux grass with stone slabs
Lay down strips of fake grass around rectangular stone slabs for an interlacing pattern that combines two wonderful elements, and presents a wonderful appearance in your yard. Depending on the kind of stone squares used, the appeal can be rustic, contemporary, or even Mediterranean. Another way to really spruce up this design is to install long-blade grass which can be used for enjoying the feel of soft, lush turf on bare feet.
4 – Make it functional
If aesthetic appeal is not the prime factor in your backyard landscaping, there are more functional approaches to sprucing up your yard with fake grass. One excellent idea might be to setup a bocce ball area which could provide the perfect entertainment for family get togethers and cookouts with neighbors. You could also install a life-size chess board or checkerboard by alternating patches of fake grass with stone slabs, and have the most interesting and playful yard in your neighborhood.
5 – Go crazy with color
You don’t really have to go crazy with color, but adding some significant color to your fake grass patio or lawn might be just the thing to liven it up and breathe life into your outdoor living space. Something like a bench or contemporary chair with colored cushions might be nice, or you could just add some planters with colorful and aromatic flowers to bring something extra to the scene.
The best faux grass lawn for you
Faux grass is a wonderful solution for any homeowner who would like to be kinder to the environment, save on water usage, and reduce costs associated with mowing, weeding, fertilizing, and paying for professional treatments.
Artificial grass these days has advanced far beyond the products that were first used as playing surfaces on football fields, and they look and feel very much like real grass. More and more homeowners are switching to fake grass now, and there is a wealth of information available online about which particular type of grass might work best for your situation and your home.
