My parents invested in fake grass. They only have a small patch of grass bordered by cottage garden goodness. It used to be real grass, that battled against the odds and mostly appeared as a scratchy, brown shade of uselessness. So sometime in the not too distant past the folks changed over to the fake variety. It is top notch stuff, proper fake grass. In fact i think they had it the last time i was here but it was winter and i hardly ventured out the back, so through a window haze i did not even notice the difference.
Pros?
* There is a drought on, so obviously plastic doesn't consume water, thus being somewhat environmentally friendly
* No burrs or prickles to penetrate the delicate soles of the feet
* No mowing (which is a definite bonus because my Dad's back is still way too bad to walk short distances, let alone pushing a mower, my Mum gardens but doesn't mow and my brother sleeps 25 hours a day)
* It stays green which is, at least, aesthetically pleasing
Cons?
* It gets REALLY hot in the sun, so those soles of the feet are not really saved
* It's plastic, so really what is it made of and what is it doing to the soil underneath for the future when maybe just maybe someone wants to plant something else there?
* I am supposing there was a significant monetary outlay at the beginning, though this is offset by the fact that no replanting is necessary, at least until it wears down
Can't seem to think of anymore negatives to this garden venture? Anyone got any that i missed?
Although it is a tad sad when ersatz is better than the real thing ...
5 comments:
LOL. My parents actually have the same stuff. Every 4-5 years they have the company that installed it come back out and tamp down the sand underneat the "grass" and tidy things up.
I've heard of them but they look cool, but the negative for me would be it'd lack life when you touch it. That softness!
The only other negative I can think of is that I would miss the smell of fresh-mown grass.
It's certainly a step above painting concrete green - my nephew and I spotted a patch out walking the otherday, it looked surreal in Melbourne in the summer, too green, too life like, which is a bit weird when you think about it.
Hi Fern, wow a global market in fake grass! Impressive - maybe a field to look into when the economic crisis looms.
Chandramouli and Michelle - the feel and smell, sensory deprivation with the fake stuff. Definitely cons.
Itinerant Gardener - I think i saw that done on Royal Parade a while back, this weird green spraypaint, that just didn't look right. Hope you are surviving the heat
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