Fake grass- yay or nay?

[ReganSomerset]

We're looking to sell in a few years and are currently sorting out the garden. I'd quite like to put fake grass down and it would probably be easier than laying it to lawn properly, but I'm concerned it might put buyers off in future. What do you think?

You know how a marathon is run step by step, covering the earth in plastic is done inch by inch too. Each person who thinks their little shady patch is better off plastic is helping to destroy the environment for all of us.

Makes me want to weep....covering the poor planet with a plastic layer to go with all the concrete etc .

As for the poster who was going in about watering, mowing and pesticides, we have an acre of garden and never ever water anything bar the odd pot near the house and I always use left over water from indoors or rainwater, never ever use pesticides and big swathes of it are never mown as we leave it to grow for all the wildlife - hth.

Bees.
Birds.
Hedgehogs.
Plastic.

Oh plus it's essential to use grass and gravel as its porous so that the water can filter through down to the water table, how the hell can it do that through plastic - the idea of using Dettol on it.... we really are a disgrace.

Absolutely not. I think it looks fine and am sure it's very convenient but for environmental reasons and the health of the planet I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.

fluorescentorange

I wonder what that bird thinks of your lawn?

I have never watered my lawn or used weedkillers on it. Last summer it was dry and patchy. It didn't matter. It's not Wimbledon 🤷‍♀️. I've even left a strip of dandelions along my veg patch for the bees.

Covering gardens in plastic is a potential ecological disaster.

it utterly stinks if you have dogs, hosing down dog shit every morning and then chucking a load of disinfectant down to leech into the ground. Fucking hell!

I didn't realise most people let their dogs shit in their garden. And surely if they had fake grass they definitely wouldn't. Our dog only poos when we take it out for a walk.

I didn't realise most people let their dogs shit in their garden. And surely if they had fake grass they definitely wouldn't. Our dog only poos when we take it out for a walk.

My dog shits in the (unwatered or chemical treated) garden. I think pick it up with the poo trowel and flick it into the undergrowth. I though everybody did this? Even out for a walk I 'stick and flick' into undergrowth rather than put it in a plastic bag and poo bin. I always though this was the best option for the environment?

My dog shits in the (unwatered or chemical treated) garden. I think pick it up with the poo trowel and flick it into the undergrowth. I though everybody did this?

My dog growing up asks to be taken out to poo, you can tell when she needs to as she will fuss. No pooing in the garden! Didn't realise that was odd tbh

Terrible for the environment (and wtf, people clean it with Dettol?! What are you thinking?!)
Always looks fake, no matter how much you spend.
No daisies or dandelions.
You have to hoover it?!
Plastic.

I honestly don't know why anyone would want it. If you don't like grass because of mud or dry patches use gravel or paving, not ghastly garish plastic. Lawns don't need to be perfect.

It would absolutely put me off buying the house. Not only beacause I oppose it from an ecological viewpoint, but also because it would make me question the general maintenance of a house. If the owners can't be bothered to mow a lawn, what other corners have been cut both internally and externally?

It’s great if you get a good quality one. We’re south facing and we’re continually re laying lawn. Plus you can’t use real grass for 3/4 of the rest as it’s so wet/muddy. Still get wildlife in as have plenty of trees around.

lala we're south facing and have the same lawn for 20 years and never replaced any of it . Reseeded a little patch under a tree once but generally leave it bald patches n all, dandelions, daisys, buttercups all great for nature and water soaks through beautifully. Plastic grass should be banned in this sudden recognition of climate catastrophy emergency.

I wonder what that bird thinks of your lawn?

Well that pigeon clearly likes it😂

In terms of the actual garden and wildlife is fake grass any worse than decking. That was going to be the end of gardens too, the plastic use is the massive issue, rather than the fake within a balanced garden.

I despise fake grass but bought a house with a plastic lawn and simply had it taken up and real grass put down. The house ticked all our other boxes and it wasn’t an expensive or arduous issue. The neighbours have fake grass liberally peppered with dog shit. It’s awful. A lot of people near us have fake grass and it saddens me especially the ones who go out and disinfect it - I know we all contribute to climate change in various ways and I make as many mistakes as anyone else but I couldn’t bring myself to spread plastic over my garden and then compound it by tipping Dettol all over it on a regular basis as well! No amount of real plants on tubs can make up for the scent and feel and sight of real grass, but I doubt it would be a deal breaker on selling.

I wouldn't but a house with a fake grass garden.

A previous pp mentioned about why not have fake flowers as well? I have a confession to make. For many years I had a banana tree that I nurtured, wrapping it in winter etc. It got to quite a size. Then it finally gave up the ghost during a very cold snap that no amount of wrapping would have kept out.
I recently bought a fake banana tree. Bit of an experiment because the manufacturers won't guarantee it for outside use (not uv stable), but I thought I'd try it. Well, it has fooled everyone so far, and when I have my (real) summer planting in place (I use a lot of heavily planted large pots) I certainly don't think it will look out of place amongst them. Of course, the leaves may have bleached out by then. We'll see.
I have got a real lawn though. At least when the dog pees on it I only need to dilute the pee with water rather than a dettol/zoflora/bleach mix...

Re the decking and wildlife, I don't like decking either, but you often find that rats and foxes appreciate it to live under, so at least some wildlife appreciates it; whether we would appreciate the wildlife is another matter!

Sorry, far too much appreciating going in in my last post!

What is the point of having fake grass if you have to pass about hoovering it, disinfecting it and so on?
Seriously all you need to do with a lawn is mow it.
In my last house the lawn was terrible. The previous remnant had a dog and the large lawn was patchy, water logged and unloved.
All I did was fork it and throw grass seed on it, hey presto I had a decent lawn.

Yes grass is pretty resilient stuff funnily enough!

Have you ever looked on google earth at peoples gardens? The fake ones glow in the dark and look absolutely horrible. No thanks!