As any California dweller knows, our lovely state tends to have an incredibly arid climate. Much of the area surrounding San Francisco is naturally high desert-like. Rainfall occurs for only half of the year, and we can expect the long summer months to bring us sunshine and drought. Hills that were a fresh green during late winter and early spring turn golden brown in the summer. Hiking and biking trails crumble to a sandy dust, and, towards the end of summer, the occasional tumbleweed can be seen making its lazy way across streets and sidewalks.
Though our region is not naturally filled with green grass and palm trees, we homeowners work hard to ensure our yards are lush and livable—rain be darned. While the benefits of a lovely grass lawn are myriad, the costs of maintaining grass are harmful not only to your pocketbook, but to the environment as well. Read this short paragraph on yard landscaping impacts from the Public Policy Institute of California:
Landscape choices are considered key because Californians—like their neighbors in other semiarid western states—have tended to use plants more suited to humid climates. The typical California lawn, a cool-season turf grass, can require several times more water than native plants. Inefficient watering systems, such as incorrectly timed automatic sprinklers, can significantly compound the problem, creating overwatered lawns and excess water spillage. In addition to the resource costs associated with water waste, overwatering generates polluted run-off, which damages rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.
(Public Policy Institute of California, “California Economic Policy: Lawns and Water Demand in California”. Volume 2, Number 2, July 2006.)
In short, your lovely grass yard is not really great for the environment in most areas of Northern California. It makes sense—something that doesn’t naturally flourish, and must be encouraged by at least some artificial means, is not going to truly be cohesive with the surrounding area. It puts a strain on the delicate ecosystem that already exists here.
That’s why artificial turf lawns are a great solution for the California homeowner who wants a green, grassy yard. Heavenly Greens synthetic lawn products can save the average homeowner around 56,000 gallons of water per year. We are a proud member of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Environmental Protection Agency’s ‘Greenscapes’ program. Our partner FieldTurf, leader of the artificial turf industry, continuously sets new environmental standards throughout the synthetic turf and grass industry.
