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Fake grass is a controversial topic. On one hand, it’s heralded as more environmentally friendly than a traditional lawn, because it doesn’t require water, fertiliser or mowing to look good. Another plus: many manufacturers use recycled plastic bottles and tyres to make synthetic grass. And with a variety of lengths, textures and colours to choose from, fake grass is getting closer in look and feel to the real thing.

That being said, artificial grass is not without its environmental drawbacks. While it cuts down on irrigation, it blankets your garden in plastic and requires a pollution-creating manufacturing process to reach your yard. It also absorbs heat, which can cause off-gassing and make it uncomfortable to touch. For these reasons, it’s best not to consider artificial grass in warm climates, where it will be in direct sun or close to walls that reflect heat.

While we’re not recommending installing synthetic lawn to replace large expanses of real lawn, using it in smaller applications has some merit. Given its durability, fake grass can be a real problem-solver in high-traffic areas of the garden, such as between walkway pavers or on driveway strips. Additionally, it can be used to bring green to balcony gardens and interior courtyards, where real lawn would be difficult to water and maintain.