Artificial grass - experiences?
Discussion
Harry Flashman said:
That is actually quite disgusting. On a normal lawn, you pick it up and the residue is decomposed by bacteria into nutrients and returned to the soil. On artificial, you just spread it around the whole area, where it sits.
Grim.
Reminds me of that part in gone in 60 seconds fGrim.
k dude they like playing with doggy st that’s fking disgusting. coltonbob said:
Don’t do it. Grass really isn’t that hard to look after! What about a robot mower, or get a quote from a local gardener if you’re really short on time?
Why people want to replace something that’s alive, with plastic, to save a little bit of time, is a sorry state of affairs, a reflection of the lack of respect for nature in this country I think unfortunately.
I love my daughter (21 months old now) getting out in the garden as much as possible, she regularly comes in filthy, but that’s all part of the fun surely.
Personally, I think getting plastic grass sets a terrible example for the kids. “Well little one, it was a bit of work looking after the grass, so I killed everything, destroyed a little habitat, and replaced it with plastic.”
My daughter is absolutely fascinated by the worms, bees, birds etc in our garden at the moment too. Seems like such a shame to lose a load of the flora and fauna from the garden for the kids. Which you will with an artificial lawn...
All of this and more!Why people want to replace something that’s alive, with plastic, to save a little bit of time, is a sorry state of affairs, a reflection of the lack of respect for nature in this country I think unfortunately.
I love my daughter (21 months old now) getting out in the garden as much as possible, she regularly comes in filthy, but that’s all part of the fun surely.
Personally, I think getting plastic grass sets a terrible example for the kids. “Well little one, it was a bit of work looking after the grass, so I killed everything, destroyed a little habitat, and replaced it with plastic.”
My daughter is absolutely fascinated by the worms, bees, birds etc in our garden at the moment too. Seems like such a shame to lose a load of the flora and fauna from the garden for the kids. Which you will with an artificial lawn...
Actually robotic mowers are quite mesmerising.....but really, 80m is nothing to mow!
mikeiow said:
All of this and more!
Actually robotic mowers are quite mesmerising.....but really, 80m is nothing to mow!
Making big hotels which needs grass and all sorts from the gardenActually robotic mowers are quite mesmerising.....but really, 80m is nothing to mow!
The lovely smell of freshly cut grass.
The fact you can mulch the grass giving nutrients back to the earth or use the off cuttings for home made compost
Kids could vomit on it or wee or sometimes a leaking nappy or dogs poo cats poo birds poo (which will really rot out he plastic/discolour it too).
The size you mention that’s barely 5minutes to cut it...
crashley said:
I would much rather battle all read round against my young son and Boxer to have real grass that i can cut. Absolutely no sense of achievement with plastic grass, no matter how good it looks.
And it looks st. Cats love it to poo on and wee.
Birds droppings will eat through the plastic.
Harry Flashman said:
That is actually quite disgusting. On a normal lawn, you pick it up and the residue is decomposed by bacteria into nutrients and returned to the soil. On artificial, you just spread it around the whole area, where it sits.
Grim.
You still pick it up, but any residue is hosed away, it's diluted when I hose the area down and ultimately seeps away.Grim.
My dogs do have a specific area, it's not near to where the kids play, but after 4 years of dogs crapping/pissing in the same spot the grass looks like new.
My front garden still has real grass, but it only takes the dogs 5 minutes to get out onto that grass and take a quick slash and the lawn has piss spots all over it, the crows dig it up for fun and it needs cutting every week.
It may not work for everybody, but the OP asked a question and I'm giving him my opinion.
Got it and love it.
We have clay soil and after weeks of my labour, and many many pounds of installing drainage systems, aeration, sanding and everything else, none of which seemed to make a blind bit of difference, I can finally let the dogs and kids out the back 365 days a year, not just the summer months. 10 mins after it stops raining you can walk on it with your socks!
Would never go back to real grass now.
I get why if you've decent soil and a period property in the South East why it may seem like the kind of things the Rooney's are into, but for people with gardens that are basically unusable 10 months of the year as they resemble the horse scene from "Never ending Story", it's worth every penny.
We have clay soil and after weeks of my labour, and many many pounds of installing drainage systems, aeration, sanding and everything else, none of which seemed to make a blind bit of difference, I can finally let the dogs and kids out the back 365 days a year, not just the summer months. 10 mins after it stops raining you can walk on it with your socks!
Would never go back to real grass now.
I get why if you've decent soil and a period property in the South East why it may seem like the kind of things the Rooney's are into, but for people with gardens that are basically unusable 10 months of the year as they resemble the horse scene from "Never ending Story", it's worth every penny.
Had it in Dubai as the water costs to keep the real grass alive (and vaguely green) were beyond frightening.
Absolutely transformed the way we used the garden and looked great.
I will be having it installed in the UK as well, though I'm struggling to find decent grass at a sensible price here so will likely bring it back from Dubai in a container when the next friend I have there decides to return to the UK
Absolutely transformed the way we used the garden and looked great.
I will be having it installed in the UK as well, though I'm struggling to find decent grass at a sensible price here so will likely bring it back from Dubai in a container when the next friend I have there decides to return to the UK
We have had about 25 sqm of artificial for 6 years now. its great, just vacuum once a year and thats it. Dont have any pets or anything crapping on it. Its an alternative to hard landscaping to break it up a bit with some softer surface. If you have a hard landscaped area and want to provide a soft low maintenance part for kids to play then its a good choice.
The best stuff back then was about £50sq/m laid - you need a sub base just like regular paving for drainage etc, then couple of inch of sand and membrane. Dont make the sand perfectly level otherwise you end up with a snooker table effect. A few mm of undulation looks more realistic.
If you like to tend to your grass at the weekend and already have a perfect lawn, then I wouldnt be in too much of a rush to rip it up, it really depends on what you are starting with and what you use your garden for. I dont think its an alternative if you want a real lawn, its more of an alternative too hard surfacing.....a bit like the decking argument - some like it, some dont.....
The best stuff back then was about £50sq/m laid - you need a sub base just like regular paving for drainage etc, then couple of inch of sand and membrane. Dont make the sand perfectly level otherwise you end up with a snooker table effect. A few mm of undulation looks more realistic.
If you like to tend to your grass at the weekend and already have a perfect lawn, then I wouldnt be in too much of a rush to rip it up, it really depends on what you are starting with and what you use your garden for. I dont think its an alternative if you want a real lawn, its more of an alternative too hard surfacing.....a bit like the decking argument - some like it, some dont.....
coltonbob said:
Don’t do it. Grass really isn’t that hard to look after! What about a robot mower, or get a quote from a local gardener if you’re really short on time?
Why people want to replace something that’s alive, with plastic, to save a little bit of time, is a sorry state of affairs, a reflection of the lack of respect for nature in this country I think unfortunately.
I love my daughter (21 months old now) getting out in the garden as much as possible, she regularly comes in filthy, but that’s all part of the fun surely.
Personally, I think getting plastic grass sets a terrible example for the kids. “Well little one, it was a bit of work looking after the grass, so I killed everything, destroyed a little habitat, and replaced it with plastic.”
My daughter is absolutely fascinated by the worms, bees, birds etc in our garden at the moment too. Seems like such a shame to lose a load of the flora and fauna from the garden for the kids. Which you will with an artificial lawn...
Absolutely agree with this.Why people want to replace something that’s alive, with plastic, to save a little bit of time, is a sorry state of affairs, a reflection of the lack of respect for nature in this country I think unfortunately.
I love my daughter (21 months old now) getting out in the garden as much as possible, she regularly comes in filthy, but that’s all part of the fun surely.
Personally, I think getting plastic grass sets a terrible example for the kids. “Well little one, it was a bit of work looking after the grass, so I killed everything, destroyed a little habitat, and replaced it with plastic.”
My daughter is absolutely fascinated by the worms, bees, birds etc in our garden at the moment too. Seems like such a shame to lose a load of the flora and fauna from the garden for the kids. Which you will with an artificial lawn...
It's bad enough that housing (especially in the South East) is constantly being packed in more and more densely. Why on earth would anyone want to take the one small bit of green space most people have left and effectively concrete over that as well? I'd much rather have the birds and insects in my garden!
I'd certainly never have it put in myself, and if I see a house I otherwise like that has artificial grass next time we come to move home, I would take a view that on negotiating over a purchase price, I'd want consideration to be made for the cost of ripping out the artificial stuff and replacing it with a proper lawn again.
Sometimes you just can't grow grass properly. If you have a small garden with a large amount of shade, high fences, poor soil etc.
For those people decent artificial grass makes far more sense than having a high maintenance lawn that without meticulous care throughout the year turns into a patch of mud.
For those people decent artificial grass makes far more sense than having a high maintenance lawn that without meticulous care throughout the year turns into a patch of mud.
Want the look and feel of lush grass but can’t be bothered just get fake!
I don’t get it... if you don’t want upkeep why not put pavement or soft paving, why making it look like something else?
I personally would not have it but horses for courses! I would either go for alternative paving of some sort, not fake grass. If I wanted it to look like grass I would get the real thing.
Also some bits I see with fake grass are tiny that they are so easy to upkeep, more so at the prices it costs to install a gardener would look after it quite easily and cheaply.
My opinion is don’t do it! My the world is full of fakery these days so I guess you should do it then.
I don’t get it... if you don’t want upkeep why not put pavement or soft paving, why making it look like something else?
I personally would not have it but horses for courses! I would either go for alternative paving of some sort, not fake grass. If I wanted it to look like grass I would get the real thing.
Also some bits I see with fake grass are tiny that they are so easy to upkeep, more so at the prices it costs to install a gardener would look after it quite easily and cheaply.
My opinion is don’t do it! My the world is full of fakery these days so I guess you should do it then.
another big fan of it. agreed, depending on the property it might not suit but it is really handy in an overly shaded garden.
got about about 20m of it at home and its great for the dogs - other peoples concerns are not founded - there are disinfectants designed for artificial grass - spray it on, leave it for a bit, pressure wash and away any mess goes.
that coupled with hoovering a couple of times per year = 365 days a year without any mud through the house. the rest of the garden is patio or sleeper'd so it all works as it should.
got about about 20m of it at home and its great for the dogs - other peoples concerns are not founded - there are disinfectants designed for artificial grass - spray it on, leave it for a bit, pressure wash and away any mess goes.
that coupled with hoovering a couple of times per year = 365 days a year without any mud through the house. the rest of the garden is patio or sleeper'd so it all works as it should.
mk2driver said:
Good/bad points about it?
I currently have awful grass, but not yet tempted to swap for fake. Reason is simply that the wildlife like it, we get birds pecking around looking for worms and what not which makes up for the time taken to maintain it.pidsy said:
without any mud through the house. the rest of the garden is patio or sleeper'd so it all works as it should.
Nothing wrong with getting muddy, good fun. Plus you can have shoes for use in back garden and take off before coming in.Kermit power said:
coltonbob said:
Don’t do it. Grass really isn’t that hard to look after! What about a robot mower, or get a quote from a local gardener if you’re really short on time?
Why people want to replace something that’s alive, with plastic, to save a little bit of time, is a sorry state of affairs, a reflection of the lack of respect for nature in this country I think unfortunately.
I love my daughter (21 months old now) getting out in the garden as much as possible, she regularly comes in filthy, but that’s all part of the fun surely.
Personally, I think getting plastic grass sets a terrible example for the kids. “Well little one, it was a bit of work looking after the grass, so I killed everything, destroyed a little habitat, and replaced it with plastic.”
My daughter is absolutely fascinated by the worms, bees, birds etc in our garden at the moment too. Seems like such a shame to lose a load of the flora and fauna from the garden for the kids. Which you will with an artificial lawn...
Absolutely agree with this.Why people want to replace something that’s alive, with plastic, to save a little bit of time, is a sorry state of affairs, a reflection of the lack of respect for nature in this country I think unfortunately.
I love my daughter (21 months old now) getting out in the garden as much as possible, she regularly comes in filthy, but that’s all part of the fun surely.
Personally, I think getting plastic grass sets a terrible example for the kids. “Well little one, it was a bit of work looking after the grass, so I killed everything, destroyed a little habitat, and replaced it with plastic.”
My daughter is absolutely fascinated by the worms, bees, birds etc in our garden at the moment too. Seems like such a shame to lose a load of the flora and fauna from the garden for the kids. Which you will with an artificial lawn...
It's bad enough that housing (especially in the South East) is constantly being packed in more and more densely. Why on earth would anyone want to take the one small bit of green space most people have left and effectively concrete over that as well? I'd much rather have the birds and insects in my garden!
I'd certainly never have it put in myself, and if I see a house I otherwise like that has artificial grass next time we come to move home, I would take a view that on negotiating over a purchase price, I'd want consideration to be made for the cost of ripping out the artificial stuff and replacing it with a proper lawn again.
zygalski said:
Sometimes you just can't grow grass properly. If you have a small garden with a large amount of shade, high fences, poor soil etc.
For those people decent artificial grass makes far more sense than having a high maintenance lawn that without meticulous care throughout the year turns into a patch of mud.
I've just had to order it for this reason. My garden is massively shaded by next doors trees and every year for the past five years I have had to reseed a good chunk of it. Last year I had gardeners coming in to cut it on a weekly basis and Green Thumb maintaining it. It looked great, although cost a chunk.For those people decent artificial grass makes far more sense than having a high maintenance lawn that without meticulous care throughout the year turns into a patch of mud.
Come winter half of it has died again. I've had enough. Maybe I'll post a pic of the before and after so people can decide - install is about a month away.
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