Landscape solutions
Landscape solutionsShade is great on a sunny day when you want to be outside and need a place to relax. For all of the benefits it offers you, shade can damage your lawn over time. Grass needs two things to grow and thrive, sunlight and water. Limiting either one can slow or stunt the growth of your grass. Eventually the grass will thin and bare spots will appear. Landscape solutions are available that can help solve your problem.
Ground Cover
Normally, the main cause of shade is an overabundance of large trees. When the trees are full of leaves, they can block much of the sunlight needed to nourish the plants below. The use of plants that produce an effective ground cover with minimal amounts of sunlight is just one of many popular . Phlox and various types of ivy are excellent replacements for grass when the shade occurs along the border of the property. Phlox and ivy are spreading plants and will fill in an area rather quickly once it becomes firmly established. Many species of ground cover bloom throughout the year. These types of plants do not need to mow and will only gain a few inches in height. As ground cover, they normally lay close to the ground and spread to wherever they can establish themselves.
Landscape Solutions
Large trees located in the middle of the lawn can cause bare spots close to the tree's trunk where the shade is the strongest. When this occurs in wide open areas of the lawn, using ground cover may not be a good idea. Ground cover tends to over run other plants and could damage grass that is thriving. Instead of using ground cover, loose landscape materials such as wood chips or stone may be a better choice. Both come in a variety of colors and textures to suit your taste. You can create a boundary with bricks or small pavers and fill the inside with the landscape materials or leave them loosely around the trunk of the tree. Be careful if you do not use a border because stones can be picked up and thrown by lawnmower blades and wood chips can be spread throughout the yard by animals.
Artificial Turf
For homeowners who have several trees or backyards that are constantly in shade due to buildings that surround the property, one landscape solution that works extremely well and offers a variety of benefits is artificial turf. It requires little to no maintenance and is not affected by extreme variations in temperature or weather conditions. Synthetic grass does not need sunlight or water and will maintain its brilliant green color throughout the year. There are several landscape solutions that use artificial materials to eliminate specific lawn care problems. Learn more about using artificial turf for landscape solutions.
The color of artificial turf does not vary or change according to the weather conditions. Synthetic turf is a great drought tolerant idea for areas in which drought conditions are prevalent. The color of the turf remains uniform and constant at all times, during rain, snow, sleet or hail. It retains its hue whether it is located in the shade of a tree or in direct sunlight. Many companies offer landscape solutions to counter the effects of shade, but synthetic turf offsets all types of problems no matter what they stem from.
Another benefit of using synthetic grass is its longevity. An artificial lawn will last several years without having to be reseeded or fertilized on a regular basis. It is extremely cost effective for homeowners who have an abundance of shade that constantly covers their property. It is also extremely cost effective when the price of the lawn is extended across the years it remains in place.
