Wilkinsons Landscaping

There used to only really be two types of people when it came to lawns: one who takes pride in carefully positioning their mower to get those perfect stripes which indicate an experienced and precise gardener. They may even get a great sense of satisfaction from a job well-done. The second see it as an annoying task that they only get round to when it starts to look really unkempt – or receive a passive aggressive comment from a neighbour – if they take the initiative to start the mower at all.

But there is now a third, growing category of people who do take pride in their lawn and garden, but just can’t be doing with the hassle of walking back and forth pushing a noisy piece of machinery, often in the Summer heat.

For this final group, artificial grass is becoming increasingly popular as a low maintenance, easy care alternative to traditional lawns. It is a great option for those who want an attractive lawn all year round, without the fuss of mowing, watering and weeding. More and more people, across the world, are making the change. In fact, Google Trends analysis shows a worldwide surge for “artificial grass” each summer for the last few years.

And, rather amazingly, even grass enthusiasts The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, the organisers of Wimbledon, are considering the idea, with hybrid court which have real grass weaved with artificial fibres trialled in last year’s tournament with a view to extending the tennis season and reduce costs.

The production of artificial grass has come along way from the scratchy, lime green plastic matting of years gone by. The old-fashioned polypropylene surface, which brings to mind sore knees from sandy astroturf during PE lessons, has been replaced with much softer polyethylene material that feels, as well as looks, great. Nowadays, you wouldn’t think twice about walking barefoot across an artificial lawn.

And while the older products needed replacing every few years, a properly installed and maintained artificial lawn can last 25 to 30 years. I think it’s fair to say that over that length of time, the return on your investment in terms of saved time and hassle (while having a perfect lawn year-round) will be well worth it.

That’s not to say that you can install artificial grass and call it a day. There are some things you need to do to keep your synthetic turf in tip top condition.

Keep it fresh!

To keep your blades bright and upright you should use a soft bristle brush every few weeks to refresh your artificial turf. Brush the grass in the opposite direction of the artificial fibres to get them standing tall.

Holes in the base membrane or an inexperienced layer can cause the occasional weed to break through. If this happens, I recommend giving the area a once over with a weedkiller and repeating a few weeks later. But prevention is better than medicine, and by using an experienced landscaper to install your new grass you stand a much better chance of having a unblemished patch.

Keep it clean!

Rain will wash away most dirt and dust, but quickly cleaning with a hose every other week will help keep it vivid green and looking the best. When it gets to Autumn, you will need to regularly remove leaves and debris using a leaf blower, stiff brush or plastic rake. The strong chemicals in pet mess can cause staining and odour, so if you want to avoid a pockmarked lawn you should remove as much as you can and hose the area – specialist products can help with this too.

Don’t burn it!

This sounds like common sense, but please do not place barbeques, burners or any other source of heat near artificial lawns – they WILL melt. This includes power tools used for other gardening jobs like trimming bushes. Also be mindful of glass ornaments and tables, which can concentrate sunlight and burn holes into your turf.

Whether or not you can be convinced to make the switch to artificial turf just yet, I think the writing is on the wall for the traditional British rolling pinstriped verdant grass lawns as climate change, eco-diversity and changing fashions take force. When even Wimbledon is leaving grass in the past, maybe the grass really is greener on the artificial side.

Simon Wilkinson is the Managing Director of Wilkinson’s Landscapes, the second generation of his family to run the business.

www.wilkinsonslandscapes.co.uk