Similar to Art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Meaning, each of us will view the same turf product slightly differently. This is the reason there are literally hundreds of different choices out there for your yard, but consider what is most important to you from the following variables:
- Length of the grass blade → for landscape applications, the height of the grass blades can vary anywhere from 1” to 2”, so the average is usually around 1.5”. The shorter the grass blades, the easier it will be to maintain, because fallen debris is less likely to get trapped within the grass blade layer. The longer grass blade products are often used for children to play on, as these tend to be a little more soft and lush. It’s a good idea to look at both ends of the spectrum, but we have found very realistic looking grasses at every height.
- Colour → my recommendation is to choose the turf that will colour-match the best to your surrounding landscape. For example if there is a cedar hedge in your yard, you will want to choose the one that blends in with that colour to optimize the overall aesthetic. After hearing the feedback of hundreds of clients, most homeowners prefer a darker green colour with a golden-brown thatch layer. I have heard on many occasions that the light green looks more “fake”.
- Density → refers to the density of the grass blades, which is actually a big determinant of the price of turf. Generally a nice healthy lawn is very full, while a less healthy lawn is quite sparse. When I show samples to clients, they always prefer the look of the more dense products, however, these are the highest on the price spectrum because they weigh more and require more raw materials to manufacture them. It’s a good thing to know ahead of time!
Oftentimes, a turf sample doesn’t do justice to what it will look like once it’s been installed in your yard. Therefore, you should look around the neighbourhood and see which ones you like and don’t like. If you need help identifying what kind of turf someone has in their front yard, just send me a message and I can let you know!
One last factor worth mentioning is that artificial turf looks much different from one angle to another. You may notice the grass blades have a certain direction, so looking “into the grain” will give you a deeper colour, while looking “down-grain” will look slightly more shiny from the reflection of the sun. This is normal with any type of grass, so consider which direction you will spend more time looking at it from. If it’s going in the front yard, you may want the grass blades facing the street to provide the best aesthetic and curb appeal.
An example of a turf that was chosen to best match the colour of the surrounding landscape. This one is called “Prime Fescue”, the most popular choice in 2021!
