Artificial grass - yes or no?

[ChicagoBears]

I have a substantial garden, some has porcelain tiles but it’s mostly loose stone which looks bare and is difficult to use so I was considering artificial grass.

I know there’s lots of grades of grass, I’d opt for the premium grade but wanted to garner opinion, what (if any) are the drawbacks of artificial grass? Will I love to regret it?

Because hedgehogs are related to artificial grass. They're related in the fact that hedgehogs are in decline from people putting down fake grass in their garden.
Their habitats are ruined.

Cars have no relation to artificial grass. Which is what this thread is about.

I'm clearly done. Live your plastic life.

https://www.heavenlygreens.com/blog/what-should-i-do-if-my-artificial-grass-is-old#:~:text=Thankfully%2C%20artificial%20turf%20is%20100,manufacture%20the%20blades%20and%20backing.

Welcome back! 🙂

Cars are also to blame for deaths of hedgehogs. As I said in my previous post.

You just carry on with your own agenda though 🙂

'Opinions' is precisely what this thread is about. I was told the grass has no purpose - I said it does as its provided a space for mu little girl to play in.

As I also said, my garden no longer floods since we had the grass. What a coincidence 🙂

Cars = bad for the environment
Artificial grass =bad fir the environment

(Everyone) does stuff that's bad for the environment. But you just keep saying But we are not talking about cars . But we are talking about the environment and both theses things and others have impact on the environment. You want to keep closing people down everytime they mention other stuff that we all do that upsets the environment.

Driving has a purpose yes it does but that does not change the fact it does effect the environment. And people's health.

It's toxic crap and people who get in the "garden" are not gardeners.

Exactly, no where. All theoretical but no one actually will take it. And that’s the US. There’s no one in the U.K. What are you planning to do with yours I’m a few years by the way?

I don’t even know why this is in the gardening section. It’s the very antithesis of gardening. Should be in Property or something.

If you want to start a thread about how cars are bad for the environment and our ecosystem. Go ahead.

But this topic is about artificial grass. If you're that delusional to realise that your garden has destroyed habitats, that your garden has destroyed our natural ecosystems and materials which are used to make it.
That your garden is a part to play in hedgehogs losing their habitats and are suffering.

Then more fool you.

People are repeatedly telling you this, yet you're just delusional.

Or just a troll who loves the thrill of this.

Goodbye.

Yes. It's literally insulting to people who like cultivating and growing things and want to enrich their own gardens to get posts on artificial grass.

Again this thread is about artificial grass.
Which is what this topic is about.

I'm sure artificial grass has its uses. My next door neighbours are a young couple who work a lot of hours, are out a lot but want something 'green' and useable outside. They haven't time to spend mowing and don't (for some unfathomable reason) want a gardener or robot mower (although the level of dogshit they leave lying might be why).

So I understand that, for some people, it might be an alternative. It isn't the only alternative though. And personally I hate it and what it does to the environment. But I know it suits some.

Do those who have artificial grass also have areas that they DO garden?

You can't call yourself a gardener if you have artificial grass. You are an environmentally inconsiderate exterior decorator

Well perhaps you should start a thread about how artificial grass (and cars, bonfires, slug pellets etc) are killing hedgehogs too.

Oh wait - you clearly don't have an answer for that so accuse somebody of being a troll.

@Vroomfondleswaistcoat I think most people must get it because it’s green, neat and low maintenance.

No thought goes into what it’s doing to the environment, both immediate and longer term. It’s really sad that in this day and age the connection to nature is so lost.
A previous poster talked about her little girl seeing nature from the pots she had stuck on her fake lawn completely missing the point she had killed most of the nature that had previously existed there. And her little girl would grow up with tons and tons of unnecessary plastic in the environment.

So many alternatives to easy to care for, neat, gardens. Plastic isn’t one.

My reason for getting artificial grass was as the back garden was a complete mud bath that repeatedly flooded. It wasn't usable. Artificial grass means my daughter can go out to play.

The front garden is grass which we get wildlife. We also have several plant pots that also bring wildlife too 🙂

Any I have seen are just a complete sea of plastic. The odd pot perhaps.
All the soil and insects underneath dead.

Its one of the few things I hope they start taxing….
write to you MP everyone !!!!
there has and still is plenty of discussion on whether to inc council tax for those that put it down.

Well loads of people are interested in shit lawns. Because they are shit.

@Mademetoxic I'm interested, just had a look. Makes me feel smug about my garden😚😂

Well perhaps you should start a thread about how artificial grass (and cars, bonfires, slug pellets etc) are killing hedgehogs too.

I take the train to work and have never started a bonfire- am I allowed an opinion now? Fake grass looks tacky and is just a sad looking carpet that destroys habitats.

You've missed the point entirely...

@OddsocksinmyDocs How has putting plastic down made the garden less wet though? Surely the excess water sits on the top. If it’s draining away now then whatever you’ve done means it would also drain away from grass (which also absorbs water).

Why not put decking in so the “garden” is raised and useable? Soil would still be biodiverse and it would still look neat.

I don't see how they could implement a higher council tax on fake grass.
What they could do is have a high environmental damage tax on fake grass at point of sale. The tax should be very high though because a lot of money is going to be spent in the future dealing with this toxic shit.
Better still, just ban the stuff now. It will undoubtedly end up being banned, ban it now, save future generations the job and cost of trying to deal with the environment damage down the line.

It doesn't sit on top 🙂 there's sand and soil underneath and since we've done it, we've had no more flooding.

We couldn't grow grass - hence the reasoning of getting fake grass. We tried many, many times but it just would not grow.

Our garden is small and a weird shape so any decking we had, wouldn't be big enough if that makes sense?

Thankyou for asking sensible questions too without the need for insults 🙂

Why dont you get a moss lawn?
Moss look great, grows on almost anything, doesn't need mowing, comfortable under bare feet, great for wildlife and is excellent for carbon capture.

Plus, it doesn't look shit or is an environmental disaster like ugly fake grass.

@OddsocksinmyDocs But if all it took was sand and soil to stop the flooding why put plastic over the top? Why not sand/ gravel/ beach stones a nice rug?

I get that probably fake grass seemed like an easy option at the time but now you know how toxic it is please consider alternatives when you need to replace it.

Because we also have a dog who likes to run around the garden and that turfs everything up 🙂

I think people just need to accept that everybody does things that are bad for the environment. People drive cars which yes, they have a purpose but are also responsible for killing this planet 🙂