Artificial Grass

  There seems to be a divide in UK society where one vocal side deplores artificial grass, citing it as environmentally damaging whilst happy to use their modern cars which are over 50% plastic by volume, and the other side just quietly accepts and uses it. We at Viridifolium Limited say that artificial grass has its place in the human environment just as much as paving, stone mulching or decking, all of which have all replaced lawns. So if you want to save your time and energy and save having to buy fertiliser, moss killer, herbicides, a lawn mower, water and irrigation equipment, then please don't feel guilty. The UK has one of the most human modified landscapes in the world and your garden/outdoor area has not been pristine untouched wilderness for a long time, probably well before the Bronze Age with the clearing of the forests and introduction of farming over 3000 years ago.

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  If you want to help wildlife you still can, create organically mulched beds and borders around your lawn planted with a range of different plant types and sizes. Create refugia, areas such a log piles or bee hotels. Have a planted pond without fish, cut holes at ground level in your fences for hedgehogs, put up bird nesting boxes, there are lots of things you can do to mitigate the loss of a living lawn and improve connectivity and areas for wildlife. We can do all of that for you too. So, aside from the petty divisions and frankly, snobbery, here's what you need to know.

 

The Pros: realturf artificial grass is very environmentally durable and able to cope with extremes of temperature whether being frozen, see below, or severe heat and is manufactured to be fire resistant. It is available in a wide range of products with a wide range of applications designed to hold its colour, texture and strength for a guaranteed 10 years. 

  

  It is typically used to replace existing living grass lawns but it is also used internally, temporarily, on balconies, on roof gardens, on top of decking and elsewhere.

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  It is a great way to introduce colour and texture into any garden design, even small or irregularly shaped areas.

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  Correctly installed artificial lawns are permeable and are recognised as a Sustainable urban Drainage System (SuDS), countering the effects of increased surface water caused by urbanisation. It will never go brown and die in a drought or require irrigation to keep it lush, conserving our summer water resources.

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  For families it is a year round quickly accessible surface, extending enjoyment times outside, whilst keeping the most active ones clean.

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  It is pet-friendly, very durable and very pleasant for them to use it.

 

The Cons: A typical lawn replacement with artificial grass requires correct installation (see below) which has a cost, around £120 - £160+ per square metre depending on the specification of the artificial grass, the size of the area and ease of access/installation. Unfortunately soil has to be moved and disposed of (to be recycled), materials have to be imported, labour and taxes have to be paid for. However once installed correctly it will be cheaper to replace in 15/20 years time as the sub-base has already been created. 

 

  The grasses are made from synthetic products and our range of garden artificial grasses from realturf are made of 20% recycled materials and there are two in our range that are now also 100% recyclable at the end of their use.

 

  An artificial lawn does not provide resources for the flora and fauna that could utilise a living lawn, but as previously mentioned you can mitigate for that and provide or improve wildlife opportunity elsewhere.

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 It does need some maintenance to keep it looking perfect and it recovers excellently from periods of neglect with correct care. 

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  It also acquires the temperature of its surroundings, making bare foot walking on one of our few hot days in direct sun uncomfortable, just like paving, hot sand on a beach or simulated decking in full sun would. A sand infill can be used to help cool the grass which is preferred in hotter climates, but in the UK this becomes easily colonised by wind blown weeds due to our wetter climate so we only recommend it on intensive use areas.