Or - laugh at people who want to remove plants and increase the amount of plastic.
If everyone did this then biodiversity would suffer significantly. while gardens are not great for wildlife they have more compared to plastic covered ground.
Well the OP isn't even talking about removing grass/plants, in my situation I'll be removing a mass of brambles - sure that's actually probably a decent environment for insect and birds but I want my garden back so I can use it. I could put lawn down and spend time maintaining it, end up likely letting it get in a mess and the brambles reintroducing themselves or just put artificial grass down and be done with it. If my garden had easy access I'd use it more often and be more inclined to maintain it but it doesn't.
Plastic grass won't stop brambles, mares tail etc, I've seen that shit going through tarmac. A lawn on the other hand, mown regularly, won't have any of that as you're constantly cutting the new growth off and it can't establish and will eventually die off.
Does anyone have a good alternative to artificial grass?
I've tried a proper lawn twice (seed and turf), it just doesn't grow. We currently have most of the garden covered in wood chip but that has disadvantages too. Would love something as simple to look after as fake grass, but not stones as the kids still need to play on it.
Why does it not grow? lack of sun? poor soil?.
I hate plants.
I spent this weekend cutting down and shredding a 20 foot high privet hedge that was out of control at the back corner of my garden.
Trees are the enemy.
Why does it not grow? lack of sun? poor soil?.
Lack of sun in one part of the garden, the soil always seemed too damp as well. Also needs to contend with a trampoline sat on it now, which would make matters even worse. The wood chip we have is perfectly practical for us, but it does tend to walk through the house, and isn't the nicest thing to look at.
Will probably plant the whole garden with paved or gravel paths through when the kids have outgrown the trampoline etc, but for now we need a low maintenance surface.
judgemental prick
All I see is right-minded people trying to do the right thing and stop selfish, lazy arseholes from ****ing the planet even more for future generations.
stevenk, sounds like plastic grass would work then, my mate has it, it's been really well done tbh, has a little boy that is footy mad and a dog, grass would be destroyed quick smart.
What about that resin stuff you see on driveways? can look nice.
I congratulate you on your entirely plastic-free existence, or does your doing the right thing only extend as far as judging how other people live...
Anyway unless people with a natural lawn that cut it (electricity/petrol), or use feed (chemicals), or weed killer (chemicals) are also on your shit list then maybe expand the amount of people you're judging to be planet-ruining dicks and arseholes.
I don't know how you want me to answer. Of course we have plastic in our lives, it's inescapable for lots of things (my bank card, the (second hand) computer I'm typing on, the seat on my bike) and jolly useful when it's used right (medical applications, polytunnels, food storage) but laying down a sheet of sterile plastic over a patch of ground, no matter how small, is selfish and lazy. Artificial grass just isn't a correct or sustainable use of plastic.
I will list the things we (me and my OH, not the royal 'we') do to minimise our impact on the planet if you like, or we can take to this thread-
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/savetheplanettrackworld/page/6/
if you'd prefer and you can list the stuff you do as well while we're there. This isn't virtue-signalling, it's me trying to make a point.
Very happy with our artificial turf rear garden. 7x4m so not huge. Had turf previously but combination of children, dogs, rabbits and poor drainage left it pretty much bare earth and as the main entrance to the house and access out to the garage it was dragging mud everywhere we didn't want it.
Now the children can play out there all year round and in all weathers. Trampolines and slides don't leave dead patches underneath. Chairs can be left out and used regularly. Don't get me wrong, I like a nice lawn, but this just works better for our situation.
We still have a small lawn and border plants out the front so still get the joys of mowing with a little hand-push mower. Takes longet to get the stuff out of the garage and drag it round than it does to cut it!
People are always going to hae different opinions about things, it's what makes life interesting. But why people have to be so agressive about it is beyond me.
I’ve tried a proper lawn twice (seed and turf), it just doesn’t grow.
Sods law! I'm forever pulling grass out flower beds. My neighbour, whose "lawn" is just feet away, over a wooden fence, cannot grow any sort of a lawn. It's all dandelions at the moment. Every couple of years he buys a new load of turf (it is a tiny patch, so not that expensive) and within the year it's back to dandelions and bare patches. The flower bed my side of the fence grows grass vigorously. It may be what is underneath his patch if for instance it was the base of an old building. Shade can be dealt with to a degree by choosing grass varieties for shade but they aren't as hard wearing. If there are kids and dogs all over it then you are on a hiding to nothing. You need one of those rubber play-area things but they probably cost a fortune and you've probably got the best non-environmental disaster option already with woodchip. Woodchip will drain freely and will harbour some wildlife. Slabs and the like are almost as bad as green plastic carpet.
It's not a difference of opinion though, is it? It's people trying their ****ing hardest not to leave a mess behind them for others to clean up when they're gone, banging their collective heads against the wall trying to get the message across to lazy, selfish arseholes who couldn't give two shiny shits about anyone else, as long as their house is clean.
I [i]properly[/i] ****ing despair.
All I see is right-minded people trying to do the right thing
& you think shrieking "You're a dick!" will achieve this aim?
Probably not, and I think I may have well have been a dick myself in this instance, rule #1 and all that. Apologies for the language I used but not the argument behind it.
Best thing we ever did with our back garden was artificial grass. Had it professionally laid with a 70mm base and a quality grass which has a mix of shades. Like some others have mentioned it isn't fixed down, you can lift it if you so wish but this doesn't happen by accident. We have gone from a lawn/mud slide and dog prints all through the house, to a 365 days a year usable space.
We use it for the table tennis table, gym workouts, football, dog play, sunbathing, basically everything you would want a lawn to do in britain. Only thing I had to remind myself not to do was BBQ on it.
It isn't the most eco friendly solution so we have created a wildflower section using BeeBombs which is 2mx12m so we still have the wildlife. All those spouting off up there^^ about how anyone using plastic grass is a dick, will still be jetting off on a plane to sunny climes so their eco stance is not valid.
If you choose to go ahead get it done properly unless you know what you are doing, so many things can go wrong, if you want any tips on what we paid, or how it was laid etc. just give me a shout
It’s nothing to do with being judgemental. The OP (who I respect and have a lot of time for) asked “what would STW do” and some of us said we wouldn’t use fake grass because of the impact on the environment.
Even small gardens support our ecosystem, so with the increase in people having fake grass, it will probably have a negative impact.
You can be as defensive as you like about lawn mowers and weed killers etc, but you can’t escape the fact that there ain’t no photosynthesis going on in a fake lawn. Even a manicured lawn takes in carbon dioxide and produces oxygen.
We've gone artificial - best thing we ever did. Quite a big lawn and in the winter just got churned up by the child, his friends, the dog etc.
Now he can play on the lawn whenever - no need to wait for it to dry, no mud traipsed though the house and the 'lawn' gets so much more use because of it.
Got decent stuff and had it professionally laid. Couldn't be happier.
And by the way, deflection is not a valid response.
It’s equivalent to a motorist who when criticised for driving dangerously close to a cyclist responds with “well, I’ve seen cyclists jumping red lights!”
Lawn's will always be hard work if it's used. Mine has a some more damaged parts after my lads's party, and it's only 3x4m in the back garden. I'll seed patch, and fed, and it will be fine.
Depends upon use/traffic. Ours isn't used loads (no young kids now) but a party will bugger it up for a while. All year use, then a good artificial turf will be good. I've seen quite a few that come with the 'yellow' dead blades in - looks so realistic in a small space.
Got decent stuff and had it professionally laid
Casting aside my utter hatred for artificial grass and everything that it stands for...what the hell is professionally laid?!
Disclaimer: I don't blame people that have used it because they considered their options and in the end it's the what made sense for them over....it's no worse than a load of slabs (of which I have plenty)..but it's not a replacement for grass 🙂
Professionally laid as in, erm, laid by someone who knows what they are doing opposed to me. There are a few things that can go wrong and a number of tools/machines that I don’t own which make light work of the job. Seaming i is a work of art unless you want visible seams, cutting the right size to allow shrinkage without making it look shit while you wait for it to shrink. Levels for drainage are another thing you need to get right, there is a lot more to it than just rolling out some plastic carpet. That said if you are a competent DIY enthusiast with the time to do it then I am sure it’s achievable. Personally I am a bit shit at things like this and it’s an expensive thing to get wrong.
Indeed. Everyone who puts down artificial grass needs decking.
The opposite.
Dad fell over on decking. Slipped on the desperately slippy stuff.
They had artificial grass cover it.
I've slipped on decking too. No love from me.
Indeed. Everyone who puts down artificial grass needs decking.The opposite.
Dad fell over on decking. Slipped on the desperately slippy stuff.
They had artificial grass cover it.
I’ve slipped on decking too. No love from me.
That's not how I read the previous post... In this case, though, it sounds like you got an advance decking as a sort of down payment for your crimes against grass 😀
I wonder if there’ a correlation between plastic grass users and e-bike ownership? 🤔😉
If your garden isn’t suitable for grass what would the STW collective recommend instead? Our lawn, a mixture of dirt, moss, dandelions and rocks with a sprinkling of grass, needs replacing. I don’t want plastic grass. I need something cheap that can take a beating from small children and is low to no maintenance.
some topsoil and the correct type of grass for the conditions.
I need something cheap that can take a beating from small children and is low to no maintenance
Probably only wood chips or stones if you want something vaguely natural, not particularly environmentally friendly either though. You won't find a real grass that will take a beating with little or no maintenance, so you'll need to put some effort in for that to be an option.
I wonder if there’ a correlation between plastic grass users and e-bike ownership?
Na, a lack of imagination and a 'do it all' solution? surely they'll be gravellers.
will still be jetting off on a plane to sunny climes so their eco stance is not valid.
Nope. I haven't been on a plane in nearly 13 years and won't again unless I absolutely have to because flying's shit for the environment. We walk or cycle most of the time too and only use the car a few times a month when we have to.
Owt else you want to try?
If your garden isn’t suitable for grass what would the STW collective recommend instead? Our lawn, a mixture of dirt, moss, dandelions and rocks with a sprinkling of grass, needs replacing. I don’t want plastic grass. I need something cheap that can take a beating from small children and is low to no maintenance.
How big's your garden? Pump track?
I don't think you get enough light in that back yard to grow grass well enough SaxonRider. I'd pave it and put loads of planters in for your foliage requirements.
Just put in the artificial grass and ignore the twonks who want to make an issue of it.
Lawns piss me off. I've seen the effort that neighbours regularly put in to get rid of the interminable moss and weeds and I, frankly, have neither the time nor the inclination. Maybe something to consider for when I'm too old and decrepit not to be out enjoying the actual countryside, or my life has become otherwise too boring and that's the best I can come up with to pass the time.
All those spouting off up there^^ about how anyone using plastic grass is a dick, will still be jetting off on a plane to sunny climes so their eco stance is not valid.
So unless we live our lives in an entirely sustainable and environmentally friendly way, we aren't allowed to have opinions on making small changes to reduce our impact?
Thanks for the heads up. I used some electricity writing this post, so I guess there's now no point doing anything eco friendly. Think I'll go home and carpet my lawn.
I have artificial grass in current house. The rear garden, very small square shaped. We live in an area with 3 storey houses in almost a square facing our rear. We get very limited rear sunlight to what was the grassed area of the garden. It was constant moss.
We replaced the top soil, removed all of the bricks, wires and general rubbish the builders called top soil. Put new turf down. This was regularly cut and raked. We did have a trampoline and a see-saw in the garden, plus the kids used it regularly for playing, we also have a dog who used it for his pre-bed time business.
The turf lasted one spring until the following spring. The same area that didn't see much sunlight remained a bog with moss.
We replaced it artificial grass, looks good. Both me and wife managed to install it ourselves. Loads more topsoil and sand needed to level it out as much as possible. We have potted plants around the outside of the house, a small front area of plants /(no lawn) and hanging baskets with flowers around the rear. We've just bought a new house and expecting to move in at the end of June. Have already paid for this to be turfed.
The major downside of artificial lawn for me is having a dog who uses it as his place for doggie doodles. When we had the lawn this was fine, but as he was used to doing his business outside we carried on the same. I have to clean the lawn every two or three days. Most days with just soapy water and a wire broom, but every couple of weeks it needs a thorough clean with chemicals.
During the warm weather it can still get an acrid smell. Both the wife and I are paranoid about this so do clean it as often as possible.
@Kayla, funny that you appeared to think that was specifically aimed at you, I hadn't even read your stance when i posted. Despite the tone of your posts and the fact they are off topic I admire your stance, I really do. Unfortunately it's too late for the small changes to impact the direction of climate change. I work in an industry that gets hammered for it, single use plastics as an example, single use plastics are not the problem, people are the problem. Until we get leaders in place who are strong enough to make the big changes and punish individuals & industries who don't make wholesale changes to their behaviors, we are screwed anyway. Imagine if nobody littered and waste was managed correctly, you would never have seen an episode of Blue Planet which ignited the debate. Plastic doesn't get up and wander into the sea, humans put it there, we could do so much with waste plastic but nobody will make money so nobody cares to do it. Due to your passion on the sunject I am sure you are aware of the work done by Terracycle, if not, just have a quick squizz at their website to see what can be recycled, upcycled, reused etc.etc.etc. Anyway, back on topic, artificial lawns are ace if you want a usable space all year round and your current garden is a fetid bog.
So unless we live our lives in an entirely sustainable and environmentally friendly way, we aren’t allowed to have opinions on making small changes to reduce our impact?
Not at all but going as far as calling people dicks and arseholes who don't do everything they possibly can either is likely to provoke a less than positive response.
@Kayla, funny that you appeared to think that was specifically aimed at you
Just cos (I think) I was the only one calling people a dick is all.
Also @FuzzyWuzzy, why shouldn't people do everything they can? Give me [u]one[/u] good reason, I double dare you. FYI, financial cost or lack of time are not good reasons.
How big’s your garden? Pump track?
I wish. It’s only about four or five square meters (if that). Plopped a trampoline down on it. Which has reduced some of the space. I’d upload a photo, but I’m not that brave considering the state of it 😀
financial cost or lack of time
Might not be issues for you. They certainly are for loads of other folk.
Might not be issues for you. They certainly are for loads of other folk.
Not good reasons though. Excuses, maybe.
I work in an industry that gets hammered for it, single use plastics as an example, single use plastics are not the problem, people are the problem.
Quite right: people make and sell single use plastics.
Might not be issues for you. They certainly are for loads of other folk.
Not good reasons though. Excuses, maybe.
Time I agree on, but there isn’t much folk can do about their financial situation to be fair.
I’ll show my stunning level of naivety here. If single use plastics, plastic bags and fake grass are such an issue just either make it prohibitively expensive to produce them or outright ban them. Tough shit for those that want them, if our planet is ****ed. Until those in power crack down on the waste it’s never going to stop regardless of what individuals do.
I’m not saying don’t do your bit, far from it. But if the manufacturing isn’t stopped it all looks rather ****ing pointless really.
Might not be issues for you. They certainly are for loads of other folk.
Not good reasons though. Excuses, maybe.
It must be lovely not to have any financial or time pressures Please excuse the rest of us.
