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Artificial Lawn - does it work in a dogs' play area? 
This
photo was taken on the 29th January, at the end of a wet week. It shows our side
garden, which is the play area for 5 very lively dogs, 3 Border collies, a collie
cross and an exuberant greyhound. All of them number amongst their hobbies, chasing
round the garden after each other or a ball, and digging, but just look at the
lawn - immaculate.
The secret?
Its an artificial lawn, similar to Astroturf, and specially made for hard wearing
areas like tennis courts, football fields and where animals and children play.
Its wonderful!
It dries out immediately, is anti- slip and none of the dogs
has attempted to chew it or dig it up. Their balls roll freely on it, which means
they can entertain themselves rolling them round the garden, and they love to
lie on it even when its chilly outside.
The kitchen floor stays clean, as
there's no mud out there and not only is it pleasant to look at, but it never
needs cutting.
So - are there any drawbacks to this garden miracle?
We have found that weeds can seed themselves round the edge. They are not growing
through from below, and are very easy to lift out, and are not a problem. Moss
also has invaded round the edges, and as soon as its warmer I will be applying
an organic mosskiller. As the grass is a form of plastic, it is possible to scrub
gently, and I am hoping this will remove any dead moss and algae.
People always ask - what would happen if the dogs fouled it?
They do, all the time. Our dogs are not allowed to use the village streets to
foul, or even pee. They are expected to use our garden instead . When they are
taken out it is to exercise and entertain them [ and us]. The artificial lawn
is very easy to clean up, its slightly stiffer than grass, so solids can be lifted
cleanly. Its porous, and laid on a thick bed of sand over prepared soil, so drainage
is excellent, and we hose it down in dry weather. Unlike natural grass, it can
be disinfected regularly with a variety of disinfectants [not bleach!], and a
solution of biological washing liquid watered on will kill any smells at source.
I do find that the concrete surround is starting to grow algae in patches, but
I think the solution there will be to paint on a solution of yoghourt and water,
to encourage it to grow evenly.
We had it laid by a landscape gardener, he dug out the remains of the old lawn,
flattened it as if to lay turf, and then put down a sand bed. The artificial turf
was a roll end from the manufacturer, and was rolled out like a carpet, then flags
laid over the edge on the path side, and the other edges concealed under concrete.
The concrete was taken right up to the chain link fencing to prevent digging.
The contractor was careful to lay the flags so that they were at the same level
as the lawn. It took 4 men three and a half days to do the work, and the total
cost including the roll of artificial turf was several hundred pounds less than
the cost of flagging the area, which was the only realistic alternative. Attempting
to reseed or turf would have been a waste of time and money, as even if we had
succeeded in establishing a new lawn, 5 determined diggers and racers would soon
have reduced it to the same sorry state that the previous lawn was in.
Would we use it again - definitely, the best money we've spent in a long time.
Robbie Beechey
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