Artificial grass has come a long way. It is now a worthy alternative to natural turf. It’s even better in some ways. Take environmental friendliness and maintenance needs as examples. Artificial grass is better when it comes to these two. It is easier to maintain and better for the environment.
Plus, long gone are the days when aesthetics was a letdown. Modern artificial grass looks and feels like real grass. It even has all the little quirk and there are ways to replicate the smell of fresh cut grass. So, you are going to have a great time with artificial grass.
This article will ensure that. It’s here to share some inspiring and Creative artificial grass garden ideas (UK) with you. However, this is just a starting point because there is so much you can do with artificial grass. The possibilities are way too much for one article.
The Advantages of Using Artificial Grass in Your Garden
Some people still have a negative perception of artificial grass. So, let’s take a quick detour before exploring the 12 artificial grass garden ideas we promised. Here are the advantages that artificial grass has over natural grass.
Low maintenance
Natural grass needs watering, fertilising, weeding, and mowing. Artificial grass only needs cleaning or washing and not even frequently. That means you won’t have to spend as much money and time maintaining it. Therefore, artificial grass is low-maintenance.
Aesthetics
It takes a lot of hard work to make a natural grass lawn look good year-round. Yet, it is ridiculously easy to achieve this same feat with artificial grass. All you have to do is brush, vacuum or wash.
Environmental friendliness
All the process of maintaining natural grass has a side effect on the environment. Fertiliser and pesticides contaminate soil and water bodies, watering wastes water, while lawnmowers release CO2 into the atmosphere. Artificial grass doesn’t need all of these. Therefore, it is more eco-friendly.
Cost-effectiveness
Artificial grass is more expensive to install. However, it is more cost-effective once you calculate the long-term cost of maintaining natural grass.
Durability
Quality artificial grass can take any form of abuse and still last an average of 8 to 20 years, depending on maintenance.
12 Inspiring and Creative Artificial Grass Garden Ideas (UK)
Family-Friendly Backyard Oasis
Artificial grass is great for building a safe, durable, family-friendly outdoor space for your kids and pets. It is soft and comfy. So, you don’t have to worry about injuries when the kids fall. It also doesn’t have bare patches where mud can latch onto your kids and pets and follow them into your house.
The grass will take all the abuse your kids and pets have to give. It won’t tear or wear from all the running, tumbling and rolling around. It will also shrug off pet urine like a champ. You can’t say the same about a natural grass turf.
Chic Rooftop Terrace
This is one of those artificial grass garden idea that is impossible with natural grass. You’d have to bring a ton of soil (or another growing medium) onto the terrace, which will put a strain on the building. So, artificial grass is better for creating a rooftop terrace garden.
It’s such a chic idea, too. It’s the lease of life that every urban home with limited outdoor space needs. The grass will make your terrace feel like a real outdoor space but without the problems of maintaining natural grass. The only things left are some chic chairs, a play set for the kids and something for the adults, maybe a mini golf course.
Eco-Friendly Xeriscaping
If you think baths use too much water, wait until you know how much water it takes to keep a lawn green year-round. Watering hoses use around 1000 litres of water per hour. That’s the equivalent of 12 baths.
So, imagine how much water lawn irrigation takes up each week. Undoubtedly, it makes up a significant chunk of some people’s energy bills. It also undermines our efforts to save water in the face of climate change. Therefore, this artificial grass garden idea is good for the environment and you still get an immaculately green lawn year-round.
Compact Urban Retreat
Here is an artificial grass garden idea for urban homes with limited outdoor space. Level the terrain, lay artificial grass, add potted plants and set up your garden furniture. It’s that simple to create your own garden space. Don’t let limited space stop you.
Multipurpose Outdoor Living Space
You can still turn to artificial grass if your property has a large outdoor space. Since there is enough room to build a multifunctional outdoor space, you’ll probably want a lawn, a garden and a seating area. Artificial grass will play the first role well enough. In fact, as stated earlier, it can even give you a better lawn.
Your new artificial grass lawn will also pair well with the other two features, the garden and the seating area (like a patio or decking). Any plant will pair with the artificial lawn. Decking, patios and other garden features will be compatible, too.
Stylish Poolside Paradise
Natural grass doesn’t do well in pool areas. Wet feet track mud and cause slip hazards, while lawn maintenance tasks like trimming almost always mess up the pool. Artificial grass, on the other hand, doesn’t have these problems.
There is no mud to track, the grass doesn’t get slippery when wet and there is no dead grass to mess up the pool. So, this artificial grass garden idea is perfect for your poolside paradise. All that remains are a couple of sun loungers and colourful umbrellas. You can even forget about the chairs. Artificial grass is comfy. So, you can sit and lie on it without issues.
Lush Green Garden Path
A good garden path material needs three qualities. Number one, it must be durable enough to handle heavy foot traffic. Number two, it should be non-slip. Number three, it should have some aesthetic appeal.
Artificial grass has all of these and more. Therefore, it is an excellent material for garden paths. It can lead to truly unique and exciting results too. How many grass garden paths are out there? Now many. That’s the beauty of this artificial grass garden idea.
A Classy yet Experimental Mixed Material Patio
We have already established that artificial grass pairs well with other building materials. How about an artificial grass garden idea that expands on that idea? It’s classy yet experimental, full of texture, contrast, and visual interest. Therefore, mixed material patios are only going to keep growing in popularity.
Obviously, one of those patio materials has to be artificial grass. After all, this is an article about artificial grass garden ideas. However, the other material can be anything, including pebbles, concrete, natural stone, wood or tiles. Any of these will create an exciting blend of soft and hard landscaping.
Naturalistic Garden with Artificial Grass
Manufacturers already do a lot to make artificial grass look and feel like natural grass. They even go as far as mimicking quirks like the variety of grass shade, shape and size or creating sprays to replicate the smell of natural grass. However, there is still a lot more you can do to make artificial grass feel as natural as possible.
We are not just talking about plants, although they are crucial to creating that illusion. So, you should add as many plants as possible. Embrace variety too. Choose plants of different types, sizes, and visual appeal. However, you need accessories like rustic or naturalistic furniture and planters, boulders and driftwood to perfect that naturalistic aesthetic.
Thick Exotic Borders
A full and lively garden border will make artificial grass look like real turf. It will also add more visual appeal to the entire space in general. Going all out is the key to perfecting this artificial grass garden idea.
Fill up the border with greenery, colourful foliage and flowering plants. You can even add some scented plants to boot. Don’t forget tall plants and trees too. They add visual interest and break up established patterns.
Artificial Grass Feature Wall
One of the main advantages of artificial grass is that you can use it anywhere. So, why not on a garden wall? You will need garden wall decoration at some point. This is a great one. It will feel like a living wall, a very easy-to-maintain one.
Quirky Green furniture
If you can use artificial grass to decorate a garden wall, who says you can’t use it for furniture too? That’s the basis of this artificial grass garden idea. Simply use the grass as a decorative covering for your garden chairs, tables and sheds. You can also use it as mats for windowsills, doorways and planters. Some people even use it as yoga mats.
Conclusion
This is merely a starting point because there is so much more you can do with artificial grass. That’s one of the advantages that it has over natural grass. In fact, you can ask a manufacturer to design a bespoke grass for your artificial grass garden idea. So, anything is possible as long as you can imagine it.
