I want you to know I have not touched the color of the photos I'm posting today at all. They may look like they've been photoshopped but they haven't been. (Well, I did add some text to one or two of them, but there were no color adjustments whatsoever.)
Ok, then ...
Before:
Yes, that is what my backyard grass was looking like last week.
Another section of it looked like this:
During:
Next came a zillion worker men. This part of the process got a little messy:
The entire job (about 1,000 square feet of grass) took a total of four days from start to finish. Speaking of completion ....
After:
The end results made us question why we didn't do this years ago. I can't imagine how much we would have saved by now on our (very large) water bills!
No, I did not pick up the pool toys for these photos. Don't you feel just like a member of the family?
This next area used to hold a swing/fort set when my kids were younger. Now there's a little garden tucked back in the corner.
Here's one last photo of the completed project.
What a huge improvement, don't you think?
By the way, artifical turf is installed a bit differently if you have pets. A few of you left comments or emailed me with questions regarding pet use. A good turf company will make sure your yard is designed for your needs. (Or should I say your pet's needs?)
I think it looks so much better. It will save us a lot of money on water bills (drought-ridden California = big water bills). The dogs and bazillions of wild rabbits won't be able to kill it either.
There's only one problem ...
Somebody misses having all those rabbits around to chase.
© Twenty Four At Heart
My writing is copyright protected and I will kick your ass if you steal content. I try to protect the identities of those I mention here by changing whatever identifying details I feel I need to change. If that makes this a fictional blog then so be it. Disclaimer: I'm in no way responsible for what I write because I'm in no way responsible.
Wow! Looks great. I might have to show my Grandma who is always complaining about either the water bill or the grass looking drought nasty. This looks really good. I heard people were doing this but had no idea it would look that nice.
Posted by: elaina | November 13, 2009 at 02:09 AM
You have the cutest bunnies and doggies destroying your grass I've ever seen! :^P Actually, the artificial turf looks much better than I'd ever expected - I'm impressed. And I bet PR has thought of yet another benefit to it - no need to mow!
Posted by: Jan | November 13, 2009 at 03:43 AM
Artificial turf has come a long way in it's looks and technology over the past few years. Most people still think it looks like it did 10-15 years ago, but not so anymore. Your yard looks great, Suzanne! Can you tell us what the lifetime of the grass is supposed to be?
Di
The Blue Ridge Gal
Posted by: di | November 13, 2009 at 05:07 AM
Yes, I'd also like to know how long it should last. It looks great! Is it able to withstand any type of weather, or should it just be in fair-weather places?
I'm sure your dog will find something to fill up his days...
Posted by: Maureen@IslandRoar | November 13, 2009 at 05:28 AM
Looks great. What does it feel like? I am all for anything that saves water consumption.
Posted by: middle-aged-woman | November 13, 2009 at 06:04 AM
LOL!! Poor puppy. But OMG WOW, your yard looks UH-MAY-ZING!! Totally the right call, IMHO. Now I'm jealous...
Posted by: Kristan | November 13, 2009 at 06:59 AM
Beautiful. What do they do differently for pets?
Posted by: missy | November 13, 2009 at 07:22 AM
Looks amazing! Keep us posted.
Posted by: Linda | November 13, 2009 at 07:25 AM
Check with your local municipality. Up here, they are paying people to replace the grass in their yards. It varies from city to city but I believe it's between $1,000.00 and $3,000.00. You may also be eligible for an Eco-improvement tax credit--worth a look.
Posted by: NeCole@Eclectic Ecstasy | November 13, 2009 at 07:34 AM
Geez Suzanne! You're yard is gorgeous! When am I getting an invite? I can use the pond if you don't ya know, want me in your pool...pool, pond...whatever! :)
Posted by: Peggy | November 13, 2009 at 07:53 AM
God your before pics is what our yard looks like. We have two large dogs, one of which looks just like yours.
Posted by: Maggie May | November 13, 2009 at 08:47 AM
Must be nice. Looks like a Money Town backyard to me!
Posted by: Mr. B | November 13, 2009 at 09:04 AM
Gorgeous! I just love it! Your after shots are how I wanted our lawn to look but alas our lawn looks nothing like it.
Posted by: Grace | November 13, 2009 at 09:19 AM
Fantastic! Can't wait for my hubby to come home so I can show him. Your doggy has got the sweetest face.
Posted by: Michelle Pixie | November 13, 2009 at 09:22 AM
Your dog looks like my Buddy, even the white face!
Posted by: Jeanne P | November 13, 2009 at 09:57 AM
Pooor doggy but yay for you! The new yard look fabulous! I wish I was a fly on the wall when the rabbit realizes his digging days are over.
Posted by: Sandra | November 13, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Ha ha! Awwwwww poor puppy. I will send MY rabbits, how's that? I'm tired of the Beagle thinking baby rabbits are toys.
The yard looks great!
Posted by: Christine | November 13, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Wow! What a transformation! Poor puppy tho. You should get him some artificial rabbits to chase. :-)
Posted by: Smart Mouth Broad | November 13, 2009 at 11:02 AM
You're a meany to take the rabbit toys away!
So, what happens when they pee on the turf..does it get stinky? What about cleaning up the poop?
It looks so great. Don't you hate it when you put up with something annoying for so long...then when you finally change it, you wonder how you ever put up with it.
Posted by: dogmother | November 13, 2009 at 11:49 AM
It looks GREAT! we have a small backyard that is mostly patio. But we do have some grass and it's just WRECKED because of our two dogs. We've been thinking about going the artificial route too. We've tried seeding, roping off areas, etc. and the dogs just ignore.
Posted by: Kristin | November 13, 2009 at 01:50 PM
I'm curious too, about where your dog will do his bidzness.
BUT....your yard looks GREAT!! I hope it works out well for ya but with the huge cracks in the earth that we get when we HAVEN'T had 30 inches of rain in 5 weeks......it would just suck all that turf completely underground.
p.s. Is Mr. B a little jealous?
Posted by: Midlife Slices | November 13, 2009 at 08:18 PM
oh i'm SO happy you did hte turf!!!!! yay! it looks great and OMG, NO MAINTENANCE! i mean really.. how much more heavenly does it get?!?!?! :)
Posted by: jennster | November 16, 2009 at 05:14 PM
Wow so THAT's what all the noise was about! It looks great!
I too, wonder about the dog and how it will stand up to his potty needs.
Posted by: The Queen of Chaos | November 17, 2009 at 09:43 AM