Alien Abductions & Artificial Grass

Christmas is coming! Every year at this time we see a huge surge in orders for our white artificial grass which is ideal for Christmas displays and of course Santa's Grotto. It adds a great 'snowy' feel to the setting and is available in rolls 1 yard wide with the maximum length of a roll being up to 25 yards. As artificial grass manufacturers we are also able to offer a favourable price! Check out our Snow Grass today.

You might think the story for Christmas use of artificial grass ends there ... but you would be wrong. Amongst the usual plethera of new gadgets recently launched onto the market as Christmas gifts, there is a really novel one that uses artificial grass - the Alien Abduction Lamp. You might just be wondering how on earth artificial grass could be combined with a lamp and aliens - that was our first reaction too! But it's true .... as the picture shows it is a decorative lamp (apparently not ideal as a reading lamp) containing a 'beam' made from moulded acrylic. It uses low energy LED lights and comes with an 'abductee' which is usually a cow, though you can of course use one of your own characters or models. And of course, the cow has to be on grass so a small circular piece of artificial grass offers the ideal setting. Well you couldn't use real grass could you?!

This is one of the most novel ways in which we have seen artificial grass used as an 'accessory' but we are sure it won't be the last!

Photograph courtesy of abductionlamp.com

Grass As A Fashion Accessory

Such a phrase would at one time have generated a wry smile of disbelief on many people’s faces … but not in today’s world! Yes, believe it or not, grass has become the latest target for the fashion industry and in particular the perfume and gadget manufacturers.

“Eau de Mow”
In Australia, a recent news item generated worldwide interest when it announced the launch of a new perfume called “Eau de Mow”. The scent is called Serenascent and was developed by scientists at the University of Queensland, Brisbane who found that a chemical produced by freshly-cut grass actually helps people to be more relaxed. It is believed that the calming effect is linked to the chemical’s impact on the amygdala and hippocampus regions in the brain. Relieving stress is of course a key issue in many people’s lives today so the scientists are hoping for success when the perfume finally goes into production – expected any time. One thought that occurred to us here … what about grass allergy sufferers. Will they will be OK with this perfume? Could be it’s not for everyone!”

"Grassy Lawn Charging Station”
Most people have a couple of gadgets that need regular charging – a mobile phone and a camera for example. Well if you don’t like having to look at the untidy tangle of wires or cables whilst they are sitting on charge, there is now a handy solution. It’s a charging station that comes complete with its own “grassy lawn”. Yes, you can now put your gadgets on charge together sitting on a bed of artificial grass with all the wires neatly tucked away out of sight! Not something for everyone perhaps but for those with several gadgets and an eye for ‘designer’ looks, it might be just the right solution. You can read more here

City Beekeeping & Artificial Grass

At the end of last summer we wrote about increasing concerns for the future of the honey bee around the world. We quoted examples from southern Germany (where a significant rise in honey bee deaths had been linked to pesticides resulting in the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection suspending the registration of 8 pesticide treatments) and the United States where an environmental group had filed a lawsuit against the Federal Environmental Protection Agency for withholding information about the risks to honey bees from pesticide treatments. Clearly, the argument for reducing use of pesticides has never been so strong and with high profile celebrities such as Scarlett Johansson taking to beekeeping, it can only stand to gain momentum.

Now comes the news that the British honey bee population is in serious decline with numbers falling by as much as 30%. See a special BBC News report. The upside to this disturbing news is the growing number of people in Britain who are interested in keeping bees and maintaining their own beehives. The majority live in the countryside which is logical but what about those living in towns and cities? Well, they too now have an option to help the plight of the honey bee. It's called the beehaus. A bright yellow plastic box about the size of an average barbecue set, it is designed to reduce swarming and, it's claimed, can yield up to 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of honey in a year. It doesn't take up much space and its inventors are keen to point this out saying it is ideal for use on balconies and rooftop gardens.

So for those Brits who live an urban lifestyle and don't have a garden, they can now take their balcony or rooftop and convert it into a honey-producing space and play their part in saving the British honeybee. Using artificial grass to make the area colourful and pleasant under foot is the ideal compliment to the venture - no mowing, no watering and, above all, no pesticides required!

Read our Rooftop Grass Growing Fast post.

For more information on beekeeping go to the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) website.

Common Questions About Artificial Grass

Artificial grass is now well established as a product for today's 'Lifestyle'. Its benefits are recognised across a broad spectrum of applications, especially in the private, homeowner sector where gardens, lawns and children's play grass play an important role.

Despite this, however, artificial grass remains an enigma to some people, even though they may have heard of it or seen it before. We know because we get asked the same questions day after day! Not that we mind that - as manufacturers of artificial grass products with the UK's oldest, established artificial grass factory, we take pride in our knowledge of the product and are more than happy to share our expertise with the public. Indeed, we find that a well informed enquirer makes for a very good customer because of the confidence they develop when their questions are answered.

"Is artificial grass as good as grass?" is perhaps the most common question we are asked. Follow the link to one of our previous blog posts which deals with this in detail.

Here are some of the other more common artificial grass questions:

• Do I need to water the grass?
• What about the colour fastness of artificial grass?
• Will weeds grow on the artificial grass?
• Do I need to worry about insects?
• What happens if local utility services need to be accessed?
• Answers to these and a whole range of other questions can be found on our Artificial Grass FAQ (page 3).

If of course you have a question to which you cannot find an answer on our artificial grass website then by all means call our Customer Service on UK Freephone 0800 6521281.

Rooftop Grass Growing Fast

Enjoying a rooftop garden is nothing new. We have advocated the benefits of rooftop gardens since the early days of the Artificial Grass Blog and our post back in May 2007 ‘Roof Gardens: A Cool Lifestyle In A Hot City’ has been one of the most popular to date.

Looking beyond the UK and indeed beyond Europe to countries much further afield where hot climates prevail, there has recently been a significant increase in rooftop garden construction.

Take South Korea for example. In Seoul, building owners can get up to 70% of the cost of creating a roof garden as a subsidy from the local government which has been promoting ‘green Seoul’ projects since as far back as 2002. Many office workers in the city benefit from this, opting to take a relaxing break or even hold some of their meetings in the more pleasant surroundings that their building’s roof garden offers.

The therapeutic benefits of roof gardens in Seoul are not restricted to office workers though. Hospital patients are also able to enjoy them, a good example of that being Eunpyeong Hospital in Seoul which has built a rooftop garden on the top of their building specifically for use by its patients. According to a spokesperson for the hospital the garden “can help patients stay in an emotionally comfortable condition and have a positive mind … the green environment is especially helpful for those suffering from depression.” Read the full article here

International Interest For Grass Glee 2008

Artificial Grass Ltd recently made its second, consecutive appearance at Glee 2008, the major international trade show for gardens and leisure. Having enjoyed impressive results from Glee 2007 including a special feature for our artificial grass in a network TV Garden Makeover, we were keen to see what our experience would be a year on. We were not disappointed!

Many visitors to our stand, aware that we actually manufacture our own grass products, were keen to talk in depth about the benefits of artificial grass and the variety of applications to which it can be put. We talked to homeowners looking to install an artificial lawn or putting green in their back garden as well as to a wide range of companies - landscaping, construction, architects, driveway specialists, garden centre buyers, shop window dressers and product design and development companies.

Interest from the UK was every bit as good as last year but with one noticeable difference - a significantly higher proportion of 'key decision makers' were in attendance. It could be a coincidence but it is most probably simply an indication that product quality is coming under closer scrutiny before a decision to invest is made. If that is the case then it is good news ... for us at least, because as manufacturers of artificial grass we can speak with in-depth knowledge and confidence about our product.

Perhaps the most significant difference compared to Glee 2007 was the increase in international visitors who came to our stand - twice as many as last year. We had interest from buyers in a wide variety of countries including Japan, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Austria and Finland. It seems that the issues of global warming, the need to reduce pesticides in the environment and the desire to save on water resonate around the world and we are delighted that artificial grass has a role to play in combating these issues.

The case for artificial grass as a global product has never looked better.

Greener Grass For Younger Generation

As we've previously reported, play areas with an astro turf grass surface are becoming increasingly popular. The benefits of this latest generation of artificial grass are ideal for encouraging children to enjoy their playtime outdoors. Perhaps this is why more schools are now opting to have astro turf grass installed for their sports pitches.

Astro turf makes the ideal multi-use pitch where a variety of sports can be played including hockey and football. In the USA astro turf grass pitches have been popular with schools and colleges for many years. The US market was quick to recognise the advantages of this type of sports pitch, especially low maintenance and all year round availability.

Our factory has produced artificial grass for a variety of UK schools and colleges over the years, especially for Multi Games Use (MUGAS) and the level of enquiries received at the factory for this type of application seem to increase year upon year. Of course the specification of the grass for an astro turf type sports surface is different to the artificial grass we supply to our domestic customers for use in their gardens. It is our understanding of these factors that enables us to confidently supply the most suitable grass for each and every one of our customers.

So whether you are a head of school considering the idea of using astro turf grass or whether you just have a back patio that you would like to improve, feel free to contact our Customer Services Team on our UK Freephone for advice and guidance.

More reading on artificial grass for schools

Boarding Kennels Grass

Britain is known to be a nation of pet lovers and millions of households have a pet dog. Going on holiday and taking one's dog along may be getting easier with dog friendly hotels on the increase, but travelling overseas is another matter. This is when many families who don't have friends and relatives that they can leave their dog with to be looked after whilst they're away, have to turn to boarding kennels. Thankfully, there are many boarding kennels in Britain and the facilities they offer are of a high standard.

One of the most important areas in boarding kennels is the dog exercise area where your dog can be allowed to run and play, enjoying fresh air and crucial exercise. However, British weather being what it is with its regular rainfall, dog runs can be rendered slippy and nothing short of a mud bath. Inevitably, therefore, there are many days in the calendar when boarding kennels simply cannot let the dogs get their exercise.

This is where artificial grass really comes into its own and can offer kennel owners a real solution and the dog owners peace of mind. Our installation team recently installed an artificial grass play area for dogs at boarding kennels in Horsham. The owners were tired of the mud problems they had to endure and as part of their desire to improve the quality of facilities for dogs boarded there, they approached Artificial Grass Ltd to see if we could help. It's been a real success story and you can read more about it on our boarding kennel grass installation page.

Holiday Complex Lawns & Fake Grass

Amongst the many enquiries we receive for our grass products we have noticed an increasing number of people interested in having a fake lawn after they return from a holiday in the sun. Initially that may seem a little strange but it's because more and more holiday complexes and apartment complexes are installing fake grass in their communal areas.

This is particularly so in hot climates such as Spain and Portugal where natural grass can suffer long term punishment under the hot sun, drying out and turning hard and yellow - not exactly what you want to look out onto or experience underfoot whilst on holiday.

Recommended reading: "Where the rain in Spain is not enough" article on the UNESCO site.

Many apartment complexes have a communal swimming pool where the surrounding grass area gets a lot of wear and tear. Natural grass simply doesn't work well in this context - and that's irrespective of the climate. The answer is to use fake grass - it's soft under foot, permeable and will look green all year round.

The other main consideration for holiday apartment complexes is the shortage of water in the summer months. Therefore to maintain natural grassed communal areas they would need to water them regularly, possibly daily and that of course is a waste of a precious and expensive commodity. Again, this is where fake grass comes in as the most viable option.

Photo: An apartment complex in Mallorca where our fake grass was installed.

Grapevines Not Grass In British Gardens?

Most people are familiar with the prediction of longer, hotter summers as an inevitable result of climate change and global warming and, indeed, some people might welcome the prospect with visions of enjoying the outdoors more, but such a change in our weather could have serious consequences for the beloved British garden.

Everything from hedges to plants, trees and the traditional British lawn will face a battle for survival if water becomes scarcer, summers become drier and winters become wetter.

A wealth of information has already been published on the subject and there's plenty of advice for gardeners who want to keep a colourful and flourishing garden throughout these changing times. For example, if you grow delphiniums and lupins, you will already know that they need moisture retentive soil and do not enjoy drier weather. Therefore you might want to consider planting flowers that are more drought tolerant. Growing fruit should become easier too in warmer weather and it might not be long before we see garden centres stocking more exotic fruit trees, even grapevines and palm trees.

Serious about growing grapevines in Britain? Find out how to grow them courtesy of this BBC Gardening page.

But what about grassed lawns? Many people are already concerned about having to use pesticides to keep their lawns looking green but warmer, drier summers and wetter winters will make lawn maintenance even more difficult. An artificial lawn may well be the answer - you'll save on water and pesticides and yellowed grass in summer will be a thing of the past. Wetter winters too will be much more bearable knowing that mud from the lawn won't find its way into the house. Take a look at this recent installation of an artificial lawn for a customer in Cheshire (as shown in the photograph).

Amongst the sources of information on global warming and gardening are:
The Royal Horticultural Society's report - Gardening in the Global Greenhouse

The Met Office's dedicated section on Climate Change

Artificial Grass Roof Garden

Grass gives a lot of pleasure to people, particularly in the summer months but what if you don't have a garden? Well, if you have access to some sort of roof space the answer is to create your own green, artificial grass terrace. You might be in a top floor apartment with direct access to the roof of the building or the roof space of an attached garage or an annexe might be available to you.

Roof gardens are becoming increasingly popular and our blog article on artificial grass roof gardens last summer was testimony to this, generating a lot of interest from artificial grass customers. In fact, our in-house installation team have just installed Lifestyle® City artificial grass on the roof terrace of 4 apartments within a brand new development in the UK. The interesting part about this commission is that it was the architect involved in the design of the apartment complex who suggested to the property developers that they use artificial grass. After all, you can't use real grass easily on a roof garden - how would you cut it and where would you put the grass clippings?

Artificial grass offers roof garden owners the chance to have their own 'green' space with minimal maintenance. As the photgraph from the installation shows, artificial grass can make a roof garden an attractive, practical and pleasant area to enjoy.

View photographs from this artificial grass roof garden installation.

Is Artificial Grass As Good As Grass?

Every day our artificial grass sales team deals with enquiries and orders for our artificial grass products. One of the most common questions we are asked is whether artificial grass is as good as grass. So we thought we would dedicate this blog article to the subject and demonstrate how it's not only as good as grass but, in many ways, is much better.

Artificial grass offers a whole range of advantages - here are just a few:

• Saving time that would otherwise be spent on mowing the lawn


• Saving money:
  a) by not having to use pesticides and lawn improvement products
  b) if you're on a water meter, you won't have to water the lawn in hot weather


• Helping the environment:
  a) by using less water in the garden - it has been estimated that in the summer, around 3/4 of the UK's residential water is used on people's lawns
  b) pesticides can be damaging to the environment so best to avoid them
  c) grass cuttings contribute to air pollution - according to Australian scientists, the moment you cut your grass, an antibiotic type gas is released contributing to the hydrocarbons in the surrounding air.
  Read more about "Grass Gas"
  We also have our own page Environmental Benefits Of Artificial Grass
  
• A strong, "all year round green" is offered by artificial grass because, unlike real grass, it does not go yellow and discolour in hot weather, nor does it go brown and muddy after a lot of rain


• Artificial grass is easier to keep clean and maintain where pets are concerned - real grass areas can suffer serious degradation by pets
  

Whatever the application you're considering for your artificial grass - at home for a play area, an artificial lawn, a pathway or as grass carpet around a swimming pool or perhaps in the commercial sector as display grass for an exhibition area - the advantages are considerable. If you don't believe us, read some of our customer testimonials - see our page: "Is Artificial Grass As Good As Grass"

Fake Grass To Astro Turf: Artificial Grass Terminology

Grass is a word we all know. Simple, clear and unequivocal in meaning. As a manufacturer of artificial grass, however, we are very much aware that there is no, one, single accepted term that describes the product we manufacture.

For example, we have some customers who never use the term artificial grass but instead call it fake grass and some who prefer the phrase synthetic grass; there are even people who call it plastic grass or faux grass. As if all of this weren't enough to confuse the issue, there are those who don't even use the word 'grass' but prefer the word turf - hence we find ourselves referring to an artficial turf email request or a telephone call about synthetic turf. There are also people who, in a similar way to using the term hoover for a vaccuum cleaner, use the term astro turf. Already in this one paragraph we have used no less than 8 different sets of terminology - and all to refer to the same thing!

All of this of course is at the consumer end of the spectrum and there's an entirely different set of terms used on the production line such as we have in our artificial grass factory here in the UK. On any given day you will hear a range of terms bandied about amongst our technicians - words that most people will never have heard of - such as creel, collector board, yarn sheet, dtex and fibrillation.

As the only UK artificial grass manufacturer selling direct to consumers, we enjoy a unique position of authority when it comes to understanding and explaining artificial grass terminology. This has enabled us to write our own artificial grass glossary which brings together both everyday and manufacturing terms. Hopefully it will benefit both our customers' understanding of artificial grass and also that of our growing network of distributors. Apart from that you never know, you might get asked at the next local pub quiz what a creel is!

Pesticides - To Use Or Not To Use

A number of recent news articles have touched on the subject of pesticides and the arguments for and against their use in domestic gardens. Everyone wants an attractive garden of course and especially a nice looking lawn but at what price? Moreover, we’re not just talking about the cost of buying pesticide products but the question of potential hazards to human health and the environment.

Two major websites that cover the issue of safety with chemicals and pesticides are:

The Pesticides Safety Directorate official website – a UK Government backed website with lots of guidelines on the subject.

http://www.chem-tox.com/ - a US site with lots of detailed information. “Poison In The Grass” is the heading of one of their alarming reports which covers the hazards and consequences of lawn pesticides (http://www.chem-tox.com/pesticides/pesticidereport.htm).

Whether you believe the reports or not, you must ask yourself:

Do you have time to study all this information, then go into the local garden centre to delve through all the options of what’s available only to then have to commit to trying something out, not knowing the outcome?

Sounds like an awful waste of time and energy particularly when the real lifestyle choice of artificial grass offers a simple and effective solution.

New Year Resolution For A Better Lifestyle: Artificial Grass

The start of a new year heralds promise of better things to come and many people have resolved to improve their lifestyle in 2008. According to a Sky Real Lives survey published on 31 December 2007, most people in the UK want to improve their lifestyle, spend more time relaxing than working (as in the photo which features an artificial grass lawn) and work towards becoming 'greener'.

As the UK's leading manufacturer of artificial grass we wholeheartedly endsorse the idea; people need to spend more time with their friends and families and less time working, including working in the garden. Having a pristine lawn requires a lot of effort; not only that, but it places a big and unnecessary demand on water usage throughout the summer months (often the time when water usage is at its most critical) and requires regular application of pesticides and weedkillers. None of this is good for the environment.

So for anyone wishing to become 'greener' this is an area to focus on and it's where our artificial grass comes in. Having an artificial lawn means no more pesticides and weedkillers, no more need to run the water hose/sprinkler for endless hours in the summer and no need to get the lawnmower out every week. These are just some of the benefits to be enjoyed with artificial grass. To read more please visit our Artificial Grass Benefits page on our website.

With surveys such as the one from Sky Real Lives being published, we expect to see a significant increase this year in the demand for our artificial grass products, especially for children's play areas, an important item for many British families. (Look out for more on that shortly in our Artificial Grass Blog).

Rugby Pitch Success - Artificial Grass Scores Great Conversion

Moving towards the end of 2007, we are delighted to be able to look back on the year and see that artificial grass has won more media coverage than ever before – and all of it favourable. Great tabloid press reviews in the summer, Trade Show success and the recent TV Garden Makeover inclusion of our Lifestyle Lawn have given a our artificial grass products an emphatic ‘seal of approval’ for the UK domestic market.

However, the success story of artificial grass doesn’t end there – the sports sector too has been lending its approval to the product throughout the year. One such example is the recent review from a 2007 Rugby World Cup referee who was the man in the middle for the first game played on the new artificial grass pitch at Newcastle Falcons and Gosforth Rugby Club. After the game, referee Dave Pearson was asked to comment on his experience of the artificial grass surface and had nothing but praise for its characteristics. Here’s an extract from Dave Pearson’s interview with Richard Neale of the Newcastle Journal:

“It’s an outstanding pitch to run on and, coming off, it’s the best my legs have ever felt after a game for a long time … the pitch absorbs a lot of the pressure you put on your legs so you aren’t getting the jarring you get on some surfaces. At the World Cup some of the pitches we used were very hard and weren’t very good for your ankles and knees. Gosforth’s pitch was better than anything I used at the (2007) World Cup.”

Praise indeed, and the kind that the new generation of artificial grass for sport merits - based on practical use and credible experience.

Photograph courtesy of Support In Sport who installed the pitch. Read the full artificial pitch installation story here.