Something new and different has appeared in my neighborhood. What might appear to be a lush green lawn (see photo) is actually artificial grass. During a recent walk, I stopped dead in my tracks, kneeled down and examined the peculiar new addition that appeared before me.
At first I thought that it was simply a new swath of turf grass that had been put down, but I soon realized that the blades were too perfect – too green. I put out my hand and touched the surface, which immediately signaled that something was amiss.
Surrounding the faux lawn was a meticulously maintained, vibrant garden. It was strange to see the juxtaposition between the lovingly cared for garden and the imitation lawn that accompanied it.
When I got back home, I did a search for artificial grass, and found that there were numerous sites dedicated to promoting the product. I also saw that Home Depot was selling the stuff. I popped around to a few of the websites, reading about homeowners who were opting to roll out the artificial lawns. “It saves water… it never dies… it always looks healthy… it doesn’t need to be mowed or trimmed… it stays green in winter…” – those were just some of the reasons that people opt for fake lawns.
I still can’t get over the fact that there is an artificial lawn in my neighborhood. I never even knew that these types of things existed, other than to cover the occasional front porch. It’s something that I never imagined that I would come across in my lifetime.