The question about synthetic grass comes up time and again and whether it is better than natural grass. I think it’s mainly the thought of synthetic grass that turns a lot of people off rather than the look, feel or other benefits that you might get from using it. The belief is that because the lawn is part of nature then it is automatically a better ground cover and the world is a better place.
The problem is that there’s not much that’s actually natural about the lawns that are maintained in our front and backyards. They’re man-made approximations of meadows and other naturally occurring grassed areas. If it weren’t for out houses taking up the space, the majority of the land would be covered with trees, bushes and other undergrowth – not grass.
The problem with grass is that it requires a lot of maintenance to keep it at a manageable level. The lawnmower is constantly required to keep it trimmed and then, depending on how devoted you are to your lawn, there will be a lot of watering, fertilizing and chemical spraying to ensure that it is at its most attractive.
While synthetic grass is not natural it also doesn’t take up as many of our resources to keep it looking good. The materials that have been used in the past, the crumb rubber infill that used to be made with recycled tires, have now been replaced by more ecologically friendly materials. The grass looks and acts a lot more like real grass and there should be no more opposition to using it as there might be for tiling or paving your backyard.
So which is better? The answer is always going to come down to a matter of personal opinion over what looks better. The mindset that synthetic grass is merely a carpet laid outside is still blocking some people. If you manage either grass or synthetic grass responsibly then they are both acceptable ground coverings for the backyard.
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