You probably love how your artificial lawn looks and how easy it is to care for, but you may also want something other than solid green as far as the eye can see.
If you think that you would like some pots with flowers – or even vegetables in a container garden – on your artificial grass, read on to learn how to do this without damaging your fake turf.
Pots or Planters on Artificial Grass
While artificial grass is generally pretty resilient, and that’s one of the things that we love about it, it can be smashed down if heavy objects like pots are left in the same place for a long time.
If you’ve got a few planters of pansies or mums, it’s not likely to be an issue, especially if you move the pots every month or so, then the grass never has a chance to be flattened.
But suppose you have a large planter filled with soil – which is very heavy, as anyone who’s ever unloaded the trunk after a run to the garden center can attest to.
In that case, it will be heavy enough to crush the grass and too big to move easily.
If you really want a large planter for a pop of color or to have your own vegetable garden, it’s possible!
It won’t ruin all of your lawn, but you should probably think of it as a permanent fixture.
There’s a good chance that it will flatten the artificial grass underneath it, so you’ll just want to leave the planter in place.
One thing that you should keep in mind when you’re setting up flower pots or planters on your fake grass is the use of insecticides or pesticides.
If you need to use chemicals on your plants, avoid getting any of them on the artificial lawn.
Unlike natural plants, your artificial grass will not “breathe” or renew itself, so the chemicals will stay trapped in the blades, and this can be dangerous to pets, children, or anyone else who puts their face near the grass.
Something else that may surprise you is that the plant’s roots may grow through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot and into your artificial lawn.
You should use a saucer without holes underneath your pot, and it’s also another good reason you should move your flower pots every so often.
Plan Ahead to Plant WITHIN Your Artificial Lawn
If you know that you’re going to want natural plants as well as artificial grass, you should make sure to tell this to the installers when your new lawn is being laid.
The installers will plan your lawn design to include the plants and trees that you want.
They will ensure proper edging of your artificial grass, create planting areas for your living plants, and make accommodations so that your plants can get the right amount of irrigation and nutrients.
It’s also possible to add natural plants and trees to your existing artificial lawn, but it’s a bit more complicated, and you would probably benefit from working with a professional artificial grass installer.
They will need to…
- Cut holes in the artificial grass
- Set up planting wells for the plants
- Make sure that there is enough room for the plants’ root systems
- Ensure that the edges of the artificial grass are secure around the holes
- Ensure that the natural plants can get proper nutrients and irrigation
When choosing plants to co-exist with your fake grass, you should focus on native, hardy, drought-tolerant varieties.
This will enhance your artificial lawn and let you enjoy the low maintenance that artificial lawns are famous for.
You’ll also want to avoid plants with extensive root systems or those that send out rhizomes, as those are not ideal with artificial lawns.
If you plan to use fertilizers, pesticides, or other chemicals on your flowers, you should be careful if those chemicals get on your artificial lawn.
Depending on what chemicals you use, it may burn the grass, but the bigger danger is that they will adhere to the blades.
This can be dangerous for kids and pets if they are in that area.
Luckily, it’s very easy to clean an artificial lawn. You can use a mild detergent solution and plenty of water to wash your grass.
It won’t hurt the artificial grass; in fact, it will likely brighten it up a bit.
You may not have thought it was possible to combine natural potted plants and artificial grass to get the look you wanted, but it’s quite easy to do.
Just make sure to follow the above guidelines, and your yard will be as beautiful as a magazine picture.