More Than A Number

For those looking for a truly gorgeous landscaping option for their home, selecting artificial residential turf might seem like an odd choice.  It is, of course, much easier to maintain than a natural lawn.  Not only is there no need to deal with watering, pesticides, weeding, and fertilizing, the “cut” will always be nice and even without you ever having to touch a mower.  But is it really attractive enough to completely replace the real deal?

According to the judges at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show, the answer is yes.  This was the first year that products from fake foliage and artificial turf manufacturers could be use to create the landscaping for this 148 year old competition. And sure enough, one of the prize winners took advantage of this change in the rules, utilizing artificial turf in his design.

The Silver Gilt medal winning design was called “The Urban Plantaholics Kitchen Garden” and featured a futuristic look with a kitchen bursting with orchids. The artificial grass lawn came into play in a grotto segment that wasn’t open to natural light. While real grass wouldn’t have held up well, the artificial substitute looked great.  It is said that many of the visitors who saw the design (there were 150,000 total at the event) were fooled by the artificial grass.  It isn’t known if the Queen and Prince Philip were among those taken in by the synthetic greenery, but it has definitely raised public interest in the benefits offered by artificial turf.