Garden Plot: Artificial lawns are a tidy solution with some hidden costs

This Monterey-style home stays very tidy with its artificial lawn. (Diane Lynch / For The Ark)

Have you thought about replacing your water- and maintenance-nightmare of a lawn with artificial turf? I talked to a few homeowners who have installed synthetic lawns, and people seem very happy with the product and tidiness of their gardens after these installations. A friend told me that it makes her happy just to look out at her backyard “lawn.” Gone are the maintenance, toxic weed killers and huge water bills, along with the two big G’s — grubs and gophers — not to mention moles, which are some of the most vexing pests that can try the patience of those who love their lawns.

The decision to remove a lawn and install artificial turf opens a whole new can of worms. First, you’ll want to do some research about what the turf is made from, as that can range from old tires to plastic bottles. There’s some evidence that these products, made from ground-up plastics, can create runoff that’s not environmentally friendly. Then there’s the dreaded PFAS moniker for the thousands of substances of “forever chemicals” that persist almost indefinitely. Artificial turf can also be hot in warm weather, and upfront installation is costly.

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