They say that the grass is greener wherever you water it, but that’s not true anymore! With incredible advancements in synthetic grass technology, fake lawns can look just as good, if not better than real grass, and they stay green year-round, without the need for constant watering.
If you’re considering revamping your outdoor space, you might be debating real vs fake grass for your lawn. While the answer might be different depending on with whom you talk to, and what is most important to them, this is a debate that’s a lot easier to settle than the chicken/egg one.
Let us help you go over some of the differences between real and fake grass and get to the bottom of which one is best for you.
Real Grass vs Fake Grass – What Are The Differences?
If you’re aiming for the picture-perfect lawn, the bold green colour, flawless, uniform blades of grass, pristine edges, and not a weed in sight, but you don’t want to spend hours every day manicuring your garden, then you can’t go wrong with fake grass.
It’s not all about looks though, if you’ve got heavy foot traffic, water restrictions, or you’d like to make sure you’re doing right by our planet, then there’s more to weigh up.
Durability
Different varieties of grass may give you better durability than others, but they will still be less durable than fake grass (Sorry, Mother Nature, no disrespect intended!).
We’ve all experienced real grass after a few showers, in the wet of winter, or following a big event like an outdoor concert. Let’s be real, it’s not pretty. Trampled grass, mud and skid marks are usually the messy results.
While fake grass can still be trampled, to an extent, it’s easy to brush the fibres back upright with a stiff broom, and infill products can help prevent trampling to begin with. But you won’t be seeing any muddy patches through your fake grass, which means less mess in wetter weather!
Watering
To get the most out of real grass, frequent watering is a must! But not in the heat of the day, otherwise you risk burning your grass, and not in the height of summer, because you’ll need to conserve water. Ensuring your real grass gets enough water can be a real hassle – it’s just one more thing to remember to do, and make time for on a regular basis.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to forget about watering your lawn? Fake grass doesn’t generally require watering, but you don’t have to be afraid of getting it wet either. Our products all feature high flow drainage, so a quick hose down can actually be a good thing on occasion to remove any dirt, or cool your grass down a bit on a scorching hot day, and you won’t have to worry about burning it, or having it die off.
Maintenance
Life gets busy – we get it! One of the main reasons to choose fake grass over real grass is because it requires very little maintenance. You won’t have to mow, or fertilise it, and you won’t have to worry about weeds or pests, so you can spend less time looking after your lawn, and more time enjoying it!
If you’re feeling daunted by the process of maintaining fake grass, we’ve got plenty of tips for you! And, if you’re not convinced, why not check out what our customers have to say about making the switch, or talk to one of our team.
Appearance
Gone are the days of fake grass only being available in a single, fake-looking shade of smiley green! Did you know that we offer fake grass in a variety of shades, so that you can install the one that works best with your garden? We also have a range of pile heights so, whether you’d prefer a luscious, long fibre, or a compact, dense lawn, we’ve got beautiful, realistic looking options to suit you!
We love fake grass for its striking, uniform colour, and that freshly mowed look! But we appreciate that it’s not for everyone – some people prefer the natural, uneven texture and colour of real grass, and that’s a good reason to stick to traditional lawns, we can’t argue with you there, but we’d be happy to send you home with a sample so that you can see how magnificent a fake grass lawn could look at your place!
Environmental impact
Real grass is a natural, renewable resource that helps to absorb carbon dioxide and reduce greenhouse gas emissions – thanks, grass! While fake grass can’t help absorb carbon dioxide, once your lawn is installed, it doesn’t require anywhere near as much maintenance as a traditional lawn which means it produces less waste than real grass over a long period of time.
All of our lawns come with a 10 year warranty, so you can count on your lawn looking beautiful well into the future. Although precious resources go into making your synthetic grass, once it’s in your garden, it will use far less water than a traditional lawn, require less maintenance (no pesticides or fertilisers needed here, thank you very much!), and, at the end of its long, happy life, the backing of some fake grass products, including our RUFF synthetic grass, can be fully recycled into something new.
Ultimately the real grass vs fake grass debate is a matter of personal preference, and we’ll be the first to admit that we’re biassed, but that’s because we’ve tried both, and we know how time consuming maintaining a real grass lawn can be. Fake grass only needs very minimal effort to maintain, it’s incredibly durable, it’s perfect if you’re trying to conserve water, or you’re in a drought-prone area, it looks stunning no matter what the weather has been throwing at it, or how many people have walked on it, and at the end of its life, many years from now, it can be reincarnated into something new, thanks to the power of recycling!
If you’d like to discuss the pros and cons of fake grass with the pros at Lifestyle Lawns, drop us a line, our friendly team would love to help you find the best solution for your space!