Natural grass lawns are beautiful when they are well taken care of and have the right amounts of water and fertilizer. There are times, however, when faking a lawn may be a better option. The fact, keeping a natural grass lawn is hard work. While there are many factors that can affect how a lawn looks and feels, there are also many ways to make sure it always looks its very best, without harming the environment or violating local water restrictions.
Drought or too much water
Dry and extremely wet conditions can wreak havoc on a lawn. The lack of rain and extremely high temperatures can cause the blades to turn brown, dry out and break off. It can take up to 150,000 gallons of water a year to maintain a small to medium sized lawn. Too much water will cause mold and the lawn will be mushy and thin out.
Too Much Shade
Lawns that have an excessive amount of shade, either from large trees or buildings, often have bare or uneven patches. Grass requires medium to full sun to thrive. If an area is only exposed to sunlight for a a couple of hours a day, odds are the grass will not do well. You can fake your lawn by installing artificial turf or removing the natural grass and creating a landscaped area. With landscaping, the use of shade tolerant plants and inorganic mulch means no more worries about direct sunlight and allows you to keep your lawn beautiful and maintenance free.
Heavy Foot Traffic
Heavy foot traffic can result in pathways, ridges and large bare spots where the dirt is exposed and can wear away. Childrens play areas are notorious for having bare spots and areas where the grass and soil has worn away. This can become a tripping hazard, causing children to stumble and fall while they are playing. Just the average daily play of children and pets can begin to mat down natural grass and create faint pathways that, over time, can become more pronounced and lead to brown areas in the lawn. If you want to keep play areas looking their absolute best, section them off and re-surface them with pea gravel, crumb rubber or different types of mulch. This prevents worn areas and will add a new dimension to the look of your lawn.
Health Concerns
Many people have allergens to both dust and pollen making it difficult for them to adequately care for their lawns by themselves. When it becomes a health hazard to maintain your natural grass, you have three options. You can move away, hire an expensive landscaping company or you can fake your lawn. If the lawn is small enough, you can landscape the entire area. If you still want the look and feel of natural grass without the pain and suffering that comes along with it, you can look into artificial turf. There are many varieties and styles to choose from. Most artificial turf brands have anti-bacterial components to help control infection and contamination from pet waste.
Faking your lawn isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, for most it is a cost effective option that allows you to have a lawn that looks its best all year long, without you having to spend hours each week working on it. In most cases, if the work is done correctly, it is hard to tell the real lawns from the fake ones.