There’s a reason more and more people are choosing artificial grass over or as a compliment to patio or decking other than the fact that its so practical: it’s because it looks so real! Since the 1960s when it was first introduced it has been developed and perfected so that it fits into a garden, balcony, or terrace and not just the sports field. This meant making it softer, more complex and generally – more true to life!
How to true-to-life is it?
There are three main things to consider when thinking about how realistic you want your artificial grass. And these are all things we definitely consider when we add a new grass to our range.
Colour
It’s absolutely the first thing you notice when looking at artificial grass, and it’s often the main factor when choosing the grass for your garden. All of our grasses have a dual colour blend to add depth to the colouring of the blades, as well as a tan or brown thatch. No two lawns look identical which is why we have a range of 6 different grasses all of slightly different colouring. This means there is something for everyone!
Texture
You want artificial grass to feel as close to the real thing as possible. A tan thatch gives the grass more density so that it has a springy feel of natural grass underfoot. The yarn is also made of a plastic polymer that has a structure which allows for movement and gives the grass a bit of bounce back ability. We don’t add anything to the top of the grass because it doesn’t need extra help to stand up, we just recommend giving it a semi-regular brush to keep the pile vertical.
Installation
Don’t forget about installation! There’s no point buying the most realistic looking grass in the world if the installation is rubbish. And you want it installed so that it will look good in a week, month, and years’ time. That means having a stable draining base underneath the grass, a weed membrane to discourage unwelcome plants from cropping up and making sure the grass is fixed down.
Better than real?
Lots of people choose artificial grass because their natural grass is lacking in some way. They can take a lot of work to rectify or take care of, and sometimes it feels like they only genuinely look good for about 2 weeks in the year! How is artificial grass better than the real stuff?
Durability
The practical reason people choose artificial grass over replacing their lawn with natural turf is the durability of the fake stuff. It can cope better with the changing British weather; it won’t die with too much rain, go thin and patchy with too much use, or become more moss than grass without aeration! It is also a surface pets can use without affecting the colour of the grass.
Year round use
A lot of people find that during certain seasons the lawn is pretty much out of action because the grass gets trashed within one use. Fake grass is pretty much good to go whatever the time of year. And they don’t require much upkeep – just a brush and sweep to get rid of leaves and rejuvinate the pile.
Visit our help pages if you’d like more information about how artificial grass is installed or have a question that is not answered here. One of the other key things to think about when choosing fake grass is cost so take a read of our guide to understanding the cost of artificial grass for more useful information. Otherwise thanks for reading, and have a great day!
