Ever wonder how homeowners get that sexy, romantic, ready-for-a-magazine-cover landscape? It’s all in the mix. Whether or not you choose to include blooming plants in your landscape, a pleasing mix of shades, textures and shapes is key to making the space inviting and exciting.
The foundation for your color palette is the turf you use to anchor the space. But grass is grass, right? Wrong. Like natural grasses, artificial turf comes in a range of varieties– Bermuda, Kentucky bluegrass, zoysia, fescue, rye, centipede, St. Augustine, bentgrass and more – each with its own distinctive color mix. It’s the same with texture. Some varieties have thin, shiny blades that just naturally attract bare toes; others have chunky wide blades that lend a striking contrast to finer-textured plantings. So if you want to go classic, choose a variety that is naturally suited to your climate zone. Or go a little crazy with an exotic species that you’d never, ever be able to maintain under “natural” conditions.
Picture the slender pointy blades of fine fescue, not in shade but in bright sunlight instead. Or the deep green density of Kentucky bluegrass in a cool, shady oasis. (If you think your neighbors can handle it, you could even install an artificial lawn in your favorite team’s colors, but that’s totally a lawn of a different color.) Starting from your grassy foundation, select trees, shrubs and beds in a mix of complementary and contrasting colors and textures.
For the greatest impact, put shrubs in odd-numbered groupings or mass plants into dramatic beds. Define functional spaces with steps to different levels, winding walkways or short dividing walls. Add shape with sculptural plantings or with pergolas, patios and other architectural detail.
So go ahead, fool Mother Nature. Artificial turf lets you make you landscaping design decisions based on aesthetics alone. Your neighbors will be green with envy.
