Seen and Noted, Part 3: Artificial Lawns

The seemingly perfect lawn that you see above isn't grass at all! It's fake!

Artificial lawns are one of the oddest gardening phenomena that I noted in visits to area gardens in 2012.

Once the standard issue of the typical suburban homes, the green lawn has been falling out of favour in recent years.  In many localities, there is a ban on the chemical concoctions that at once kept lawns healthy and weed-free. If you want a dandelion-free lawn, it is now a matter of backbreaking labor.

Rising temperatures, summer droughts and water bans have also taken a toll on the popularity of lawns. What was once a neat carpet of green, is now often brown for a good portion of the summer. 

As evidenced by the book to the left, homeowners have started to look for alternatives.

One of the most surprising manifestations of lawn replacement has been the appearance of artificial turf in home applications.

Take the shade garden below for example. Tired of struggling to get grass to prosper in deep shade, this gardener actually ripped out what was left of her back lawn and replaced it with articial grass.

Except for the slightly greyer color, you might not even realize that the grass was artificial. 

Truly, this was as nice a shade garden as I have seen, but I have to be honest, I struggled a little with the fake grass.

Here are a couple of further examples. In both these high-end gardens, the landscape architects have employed artificial grass in different applications.

In this first garden, a beautiful set of stairs leads you to the front door to your right and a children's play area to your left. 

I neglected to take a picture of the playground, which incorporated a large jungle gym and swing set, but you can see similar projects here. Chosen for its practicality and for its durability underfoot, was...you guessed it, artificial grass.

One final example. 

You can watch a short video of this Backyard Oasis designed landscape architect Mark Hartley by clicking this link. 

In this courtyard garden, the use of articial grass is more minimal and discreet. In the area to the right of the saltwater pool, the architect has incorporated thin lines of artificial grass to break up the hardscaping. 

I can understand and appreciate the reasons behind the architect's choice. Real grass on the pool deck would have been difficult to maintain.

Still...I have general reservations about this product in home applications. My main problem with artificial grass is that it is "artificial". Shouldn't we be aiming to create "natural" home gardens using all-natural materials? 

What are your views on using artificial grass? Is there a place for it in home applications, or does it only belong in sports stadiums and on putting greens?

I look forward to hearing your opinion.