There's just something irresistible about a lush, green lawn. Soft expanses of grass hold nearly universal American appeal and are inextricably linked to memories of picnics in the park, games of capture the flag and lazy days spent lounging around barbecues and napping in the sun. What isn't irresistible, however, are the costs - both monetary and environmental - that come with maintaining that perfect, green lawn.

From frequent mowing to toxic fertilizers to the scorching August sun, grass is often anything but easy to maintain, particularly in the Northwest, where clay-heavy soil is common and weeds grow like, well. . . weeds.

Before project

One Issaquah family, sick of trying to grow grass in their muddy, inhospitable lawn finally decided enough was enough and looked to decidedly greener pastures to cure their garden woes. After working with Master Builders Association member Classic Nursery & Landscape Co. to build a patio, the family called on fellow association and Built Green member, Dream Turf, to give them a luxuriant new lawn with staying power.

With two small children on the move, the family wanted the look and feel of soft, springy grass, but knew their clay soil couldn't sustain sod. They had purchased a great backyard play structure but their kids were having to don rain boots just to make it to the island of soggy grass it dominated. The Dream Turf team was called in and took on the challenge with their tri-color synthetic grass system - a variegated three-color blend that looks and feels remarkably like grass.

Dream Turf began by stripping out their old grass and adding a weed barrier over the remaining mud. They then put down a layer of crushed gravel to let rain drain easily through the sub-base, and finished with the turf itself. The whole process took three days to complete.

After project

The family chose the non-toxic, polyethylene fiber turf because it can save upwards of 18,000 gallons of water annually for an average lawn. It also requires no maintenance or fertilizers, adding to its green appeal. Along these lines, the family supplemented their water-conscious lawn with drought-resistant plantings and a patio for almost zero-maintenance landscaping throughout the property.

Once just the mainstay of ballparks, driving ranges and window displays, synthetic grass is making inroads in the residential market, and the planet appears to be the main beneficiary of the switch. Sometimes grass really is greener on the other side, especially when your side looks more like a mud pit than a lawn.

To find out how you can get a synthetic lawn from Dream Turf, visit their website.

To see other feature projects, visit our project archives!