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ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS:

Artificial lawns save on water, chemicals and the homeowner's time. You get the same green grass look without the weeding, watering or mowing with fake lawns like the ones from Artificial Grass and Landscaping.

“I got sick and tired of fighting my lawn and losing,” said a 41-year-old carpenter. “I’m ecstatic now because I have a perfect lawn every single day of the year.”

The synthetic green stuff came courtesy of a Stoney Creek-based company called Artificial Grass and Landscaping Inc. It's a trend borrowed from southern states like California and Nevada where water is scarce.

Due to today's busy family life there's a growing demand for a low maintenance, lush lawn. Appearance comes in a distant second after the time and effort saved with no weeding, no watering or mowing.

With climate change, we’re getting extreme weather conditions, longer drought periods and more of them. That means a lot more hoses getting turned on. Environment Canada says around 14,000 litres of water are used each year to care for the average lawn. Fake grass means not only turning off the sprinklers, but parking the lawnmower. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation estimates a typical gas-powered mower emits as much air pollution annually as a car driven halfway across the country. Add to that 46 pounds of pesticides, 13 litres of gasoline and umpteen hours of yard work every year and the fake stuff starts looking a little friendlier.

Here’s the lowdown on the fake lawn:

The blades are made from polyethylene fibres, a recyclable plastic.
The space between the blades is filled with black rubber pellets made from recycled tires which stabilize the grass and act like dirt.
AGL Grass promises the non-toxic product is safe for children and pets.
It also says it’s resistant to fire, salt damage and animal waste. That means it will look the same in November as August. A plus for some perhaps, but less appealing to others.
Warranties promise hasslefree lawn care for many years to come.
AGL Grass also offers a colour palette. Some people like the look of picture perfect grass, and others prefer a more two-toned look that may blend better in their neighbourhood.

For more information, visit aglgrass.com