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

Changing Climate and King Crabs In Antarctica

Two items of news in the last week have once again highlighted how our climate is changing due to global warming.

February 2008 has so far seen much milder day temperatures in the UK than is normal for the time of year. Newspapers have carried stories referring to "hottest February 12 ever" with the Met Office officially confirming that the temperature recorded in Trawsgoed Wales was 18.2 °C - around double what it would normally be. Indeed, this winter in the UK has had hardly any prolonged cold spells and according to the Met Office's Head of Climate Change, Derrick Ryall, we can expect the same each winter from now on.

The earth’s oceans too are warming up and this week concerns have been raised about how the whole ecosystem of Antarctica could be under threat because of this. Apparently, king crabs are poised to invade the shallower waters of the area as they become less cold and if this happens then the soft-bodied and thin-shelled creatures that have lived there for millions of years could be at risk.

Evidence of global warming and the threat it poses not only to our lives but to the earth as a whole seems to be around every corner. The need for us all to act more responsibly in the everyday choices we make is crucial. That’s why it’s heart-warming to know that many people in Britain have resolved this year to ‘become greener’ and improve their lifestyle as reported in a recent Sky Real Lives Survey - see our recent blog posting “New Year Resolution For A Better Lifestyle: Artificial Grass”.

On The Verge Of Success With Artificial Grass

Green roadside verges in Britain may be a thing of the past before long thanks to global warming. As we all know, grass is only green with a regular supply of rain or water and when the inevitable hosepipe bans are introduced this summer, it will be the lack of water for our lawns and gardens that most of us think of. The thousands of miles of Britain's green grass verges will not get a second thought and will face a summer of drying out and yellowing. Traffic roundabouts and perimeter grassed areas of car parks and supermarkets as well as inner city public parks and walkways will also face the same fate. Local councils and organisations responsible for the maintenance of these verges and grassed areas will be hard pressed to do much about it.

Q: What's the answer? Q: Artificial Grass

These key features make it ideal for this application:

• green
• permeable
• hard wearing
• needs no watering
• virtually maintenance free

Other countries are well ahead of Britain in implementing the use of artificial grass for roadside verges and perimeter grass areas, particularly in hotter climates where the arid conditions rarely if ever give rise to natural grass growing. The photo above shows a roadside verge in Oman where artificial grass produced in our factory has been used to create a luscious, all year round, maintenance-free series of roadside verges. Public response has been overwhelmingly in favour of the new idea and we expect more similar orders to follow.

Will We Have to Mow The Lawn All Year Round?

According to latest reports, scientists are now arguing the possibility that many of us in the UK will soon have to mow the lawn all year round.

The National Environment Research Council has said that, as a result of mild winters in the last 5 years, around 35% of homeowners in the UK are now mowing their lawns in winter.

To put this in context, 20 years ago grass would only grow during winter in milder areas of the UK such as the Scilly Isles.

When the temperature is above 5 degrees Celsius grass will grow and this January (2007) was the second mildest on record with temperatures reaching 5.9 degrees Celsius. Out came the mowers!

If the thought of keeping the lawn mower going continually over 12 months doesn't appeal to you then it's time to consider installing artificial grass and start enjoying the extra time you will save.

(This article is based on data reported by WHICH magazine)

Don't Waste Water In The Garden - Use Artificial Grass

The impact of global warming is brought home to us every day from different sources within the media. The Daily Express special feature this week on how artificial grass in the garden can combat drought problems is a good example and recent feedback from our own artificial grass customers suggests serious concern about the need to save on water, especially in the garden.

So what are the statistics on water usage in the UK?
We did some research and discovered that:

- During hot weather garden watering accounts for 50%+ of the UK's water supply, compared to 6% in normal weather conditions

- Outdoor watering (medium sprinkler or handheld hose) uses 19-38 litres (5-10 gallons) per minute

- Watering your garden/lawn for 1 hour = 1,140 litres (300 gallons) of water

So how can we save on water?

Even if you cut down on your outdoor watering to just 15 minutes 4 times per week, you would still use over 1,000 litres of water (300 gallons). A staggering waste.
We believe there are 2 realistic options for saving water. One is voluntary, the other enforced.

Voluntary
Take control of your garden and water usage by installing an artificial grass lawn. It needs no watering so for every year of its use you will literally save thousands of litres of water. (Photographed above: an artficial grass lawn)

Enforced
Water authorities will have to consider making water meters compulsory - and they have the evidence to prove their case. In the 1980's water metering was trialled in 11 areas of the UK and subsequent years showed an average reduction of 11% in water usage in the homes concerned.

Our advice is don't wait for a water meter. By installing artificial grass you will not only save on water but enjoy lots of other advantages - save time on mowing, save money on pesticides and weedkillers and have an all year round green lawn to look at.