Home is where your heart is. And when your guests visit, they bring and leave their hearts with them too. When you entertain them outdoors, chances are that they will notice two things: plants and the grass. The grass is the same place where your kids play and where your dogs run around. The grass in your yard is an integral part of your home. It is often overlooked, but it brings so many benefits. Those benefits are usually ignored.
The hard floor in your home brings attraction and functionality. It works in every part of your home. The wooden floor is perfect for the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. On the other hand, tiles are good for the toilet and bath.
But the grass outdoors takes care of so many things as well. First, it helps clean the air. It traps carbon dioxide and then releases clean oxygen into the atmosphere. Then grass can trap dust, keeping it away from your lungs. This makes breathing clean air easier when you go outside.
So what makes perfect grass? What looks good on your home. What is perfect for your health? Is it the natural grass? What about artificial grass? Does it do any good?
Natural Grass
Growing natural grass, whether by laying sod or through hydroseeding, makes your lawn beautiful. It also keeps your yard cooler. When it rains hard, it slows down the water runoff. Therefore, avoiding flooded streets and houses. And grass keeps the soil open so rainwater can just soak into its pores.
In terms of maintenance, natural grass requires regular mowing. You need to water it as much as possible, especially during the summer months. It takes some tender loving care; it cannot be neglected. Otherwise, trimming it down may cost more money and more time.
In terms of aesthetics, its color, height of blades, and texture are dependent on the season. During springtime, grass grows fast and beautiful. It keeps growing through summer all the way to the early fall season. And then it turns brown and stops growing during winter.
Sod rolls, including installation, costs around $3 per square foot. Then you also need to keep a budget for other expenses. This includes mowing, watering, and fertilizing. You will not only spend money, but you also have to spend some time taking care of your lawn.
Artificial Grass
These are synthetic grass blades that were made with the exact look of natural grass. From afar, you will not notice it to be fake. So you have to look closely to see the difference. Even the feel of artificial grass when you step on it with bare feet feels different. It is usually harder in texture compared to natural grass.
It is also known as plastic grass, which is how it is usually made. In the world of gardening, artificial grass has different names. These names include turf, astro, and astroturf. Gardeners and landscape artists use these names to refer to artificial grass.
In terms of maintenance, it is simpler and easier. It doesn’t take too much time. You don’t have to mow it, just enjoy it. To clean it, you only need a leaf blower, a brush, or even a plastic rake. Watch out for weeds, or better yet, apply some weed killer. If you have pets that play around, simply spray some deodorizer to keep it clean from pet urine.
When it comes to aesthetics, artificial grass is always Instagram-worthy. The colors and blade sizes never change. It looks perfect regardless of any season.
When it comes to money, artificial grass is more expensive compared to natural grass. The grass, including installation, may cost $10 or up to $20 per square foot. But when it is installed, you get to save money and time on maintenance.
You get to save money on water expenses. There is no need to buy and maintain a lawnmower. And you get to use your time on other activities than working on your lawn. It is always good to know that you can somehow be carefree in one part of your home.
Both natural grass and artificial grass have their own unique qualities. It will now boil down to your personal preference. Your choice will depend on what you value the most, may it be time, money, or the environment itself. Either way, you don’t have to say, “The grass is always greener on the other side.” But you can always say, “The grass is always greener where you keep it.”
