Fake grass is the height of tackiness

[Ihatetomatoes]

Horid stuff, and bad for wildlife.

If you don't have any spare time or are lazy, perhaps a property with a smaller garden.

I assume you follow shitlawns on FB or insta, @Ihatetomatoes ? Some real shockers

Totally agree. Anyone opting for fake grass because it's easier doesn't care about the environment, microplastics, wildlife, or the legacy they are leaving their children. I'd also be concerned about the chemicals my body is absorbing from plastic in my environment.

I have posted this picture before.
We tried to grow grass for almost 10 years but our North facing small garden is surrounded by tall trees and the garden was unusable 9 months of the year.
It's so shady that I have never noticed it getting even vaguely warm in Summer, let alone too hot to walk on.

If we could grow grass we would prefer that, but our fake grass enables us to use our garden.

Dont pretend your issue is the enviormental impact. At least the other judgmental people here are honest.

Do you always perceive a difference of opinion as one person trying to be 'superior' to you?
It's a matter of fact that they're terrible for the environment. It's possible that they're carcinogenic. Many people think they look awful too.
That's not superiority that's just facts and reasonable opinions

That's a lot of fake grass. Even if I loved everything else about your house, and it looks like a lovely home, I wouldn't buy it for that reason alone.

It's not a lot of fake grass. It's less than 4m by 4 iirc

The environmental impact is one issue, so yes, I do care about the environmental impact, among other things. I have land I have rewilded for that reason.

I loathe fake grass but when I moved into this house it had a small courtyard garden with plastic liner and gravel which is even worse and my cats hate it. It hurts their paws.
Somerset is massive weed central and so grass looks horrible after 5 minutes a d my garden is too small for grass anyway.
I need something nice in the middle surrounded by flower beds but I have no idea what? Fake grass makes me weep but what else can I put down that looks nice?

Does it have to look nice? My large lawn is a bit brown in the heat (not watering it), lush green in winter, a bit patchy in between seasons. It doesn't look like a perfect manicured lawn but it looks natural and is just fine.

Quite bonkers to get excited about something that you aren’t forced to do.

It's terrible for the environment, so it affects us all.

It's awful stuff, the gardens near me that have it look so sterile and unattractive.

White clover is very low maintenance and imo looks nice

I think the multitude of references to “tacky” and “chav” and in one egregious case, “Hitler”, are what’s lending this thread its whiff of judgement, classism and superiority, rather than any “difference of opinion”.

HTH

@Teenylittlefella I love the trees (and dog!!!) in your garden. I work as a gardener and am very interested how you get on with the plastic grass under trees.

When I visit clients who have plastic grass I find the big problem is moss and weeds in the grass. Leaves fall and rot on the grass creating the ideal environment for moss and weeds. It's an absolute devil to get out. You have a lot of trees there and the lawn's in the shade so more prone to moss. How long has the grass been down and is it a problem?

My opinion on plastic grass is that it has it's place - such as the lady whose son is only able to enjoy the garden because of it. I'm glad it exists just for her and him. Other than that it's an environmental nightmare.

She was responding to the comment about tackiness which appears to the OP's leading thought.

You can surely spray it with chemicals that are probably not good for the environment or people to keep the moss under control?

Landscape bark?

I love mine. The soil where I live is heavy clay. Totally impossible to grow grass. I’ve tried. I have a tiny garden. Lots of pots. Loads of climbers. Loads of wildlife. Best thing I ever did was to add fake grass. If you don’t like it, don’t get it.

Presumably you’re vegan? :)

The problem is, once moss, weeds, smell of dog piss and general unkempt ness sets in..

The plastic lawn owner gets someone in and junks the whole lot, relaying yet more plastic trash, for the next 5-10 years.

Meanwhile our environment is drowning in plastic pollution.

It's been down 5 years. We do brush leaves off it but no, not got any moss. Maybe at the very edges we have some ivy ingression. We have quite wide flowerbeds where the trees are.
I would keep the trees over the grass anyhow but we aren't aiming for a pristine space.

Exactly. I basically see it the same way i see people who wear Shein or Temu outfits a couple of times then throw them away.
Terrible for the environment, and yes sorry you might think it looks good but it's cheap and nasty too.
(Obviously without the modern slavery connotations though afaik)

That looks amazing! I have fake grass for the same reasons and have plenty of plants around mine too.