If you’ve decided it’s time to switch to artificial grass but want more than a simple lawn area in your backyard, read on for some great backyard landscape design ideas that will help you get the look you want.
The available space and budget must be balanced with practical concerns and design tastes/preferences. These vary across homes in the Austin area but synthetic grass is flexible enough to suit almost every homeowner.
Whether you have a sprawling backyard dotted with trees or a tiny area that’s just big enough for your dog to exercise — or even a balcony area that needs brightening up — a few fake grass ideas will help.
For a little inspiration, let’s take a quick look at the best artificial grass backyard ideas in Austin:
Why install synthetic grass in your backyard?
For anyone pondering their options and not yet convinced that artificial grass is the way to go, the Synthetic Turf Market Report suggests that more homes than ever in the southern states are installing artificial grass.
And it’s not just a U.S. trend. In the UK, one in 10 homeowners with outside space has replaced at least some of their garden’s natural lawn with synthetic turf.
Why is this?
Primarily, it’s because homeowners can achieve a fantastic-looking backyard without the constant work of watering, cutting, trimming, fertilizing, aerating and weeding it. But there is a long list of reasons why homeowners choose synthetic turf in Austin and beyond:
- Very low maintenance: all you need is an occasional cross-brush, hose down or vacuum to keep artificial grass clean and looking immaculate (saving both time and money).
- Cost-effective: you won’t need weekly visits from a lawn service team to keep your backyard looking fine, saving you money every month (despite the higher installation costs, artificial grass usually pays for itself in five years).
- Water conservation: droughts affect large parts of Texas, so a backyard landscape design with artificial grass can help you meet water restrictions as well as save money.
- Aesthetically pleasing: with a customized fake grass installation, you get an area that looks perfect all year round with no bald patches, mud, sun damage or other problems that afflict real grass.
Environmentally friendly: although artificial turf is made of plastic, it requires no toxic chemicals to maintain it and no lawnmower fuel, which is a major contributor to household pollution in the U.S. every time a homeowner does this:
- Durability: high-quality artificial grass frequently lasts 12-15 years or more — even in the harsh Texan sun and in high-traffic areas.
- Pet-friendly: dogs, cats and other pets will love artificial grass almost as much as their owners — they can play and pee on synthetic turf and you don’t have to worry about muddy paws, holes, digging, or bald/yellow patches.
- Works with landscaping: artificial turf ideas will work around existing soft and hard landscaping features and you can even consider some more creative additions if you wish.
The 7 best artificial grass backyard ideas with landscaping
Whether you simply want a low-maintenance lawn that stays looking immaculate year-round or something with a little more color and style, artificial grass can improve your home’s outdoor living spaces.
Backyards are less prominent than front yards but, just because they’re at the back of the house, doesn’t mean they can’t be eye-catching and stylish. Backyard areas affect curb appeal too.
Here are a few of the leading ideas for Austin homeowners looking for a little more beyond a simple backyard lawn…
Shape your artificial lawn around a landscaped patio
A modern patio paired with a new customized artificial grass installation can be a stunning combination for your backyard, as you can see from this installation that we managed for one Texan homeowner:
The soft, verdant and inviting grass surrounds the modern and spacious patio, with its hard surfaces and neutral tones.
A patio like this is the ideal area to enjoy the warm mornings or the cool, late-afternoon breeze from the comfort of your home while watching the kids play or the dog run around. You don’t need a yard that is as spacious as this one though — your design can all be scaled back to suit your available backyard space.
You can also install synthetic grass around other landscaping features, such as raised flower beds or pathways to provide a pleasing contrast in texture and color in your backyard space.
Modernize your backyard with landscaping
A little landscaping combined with synthetic turf can completely modernize your backyard area, keeping it fresh and appealing all year round with little maintenance.
The backyard space depicted above was transformed into a stunning area thanks to a creative landscape design plan that incorporates a grass lawn and artificial grass between modern pavers, shrubbery and some decorative stone patio work.
The contrast in colors and textures makes it more visually appealing than a simple lawn and fence area and its low-maintenance requirements make it practical too.
Perhaps you’d like a water feature, like a fountain or pond or raised flower beds to beautify your backyard area. Synthetic turf can fit in seamlessly with all your backyard landscaping ideas.
Create a stunning pool area
Texas has one of the highest concentrations of swimming pools in the U.S. and trails only California and Florida in the total number of swimming pools in the state.
If you have space in your backyard for a swimming pool, artificial turf can add color, style and practicality to the surrounding areas.
Pool turf is resistant to sun and chlorine damage, non-slip and soft, cushioned and comfortable to walk on. It also stays cool even in the hot sun (no stepping on hot stones) and provides excellent drainage if installed by professionals.
With fake grass, there’s no trailing of mud back to the house either, making it ideal for pool areas, as you can see in this project that we worked on recently in the Austin area:
Design a bocce ball court area
Artificial turf is ideal for installing a bocce ball court in your backyard. If you prefer a gravel bocce ball court, you can use synthetic grass to accent the spaces around it and nobody will be able to tell that it’s not finely maintained real grass.
Bocce ball is a game all the family can play and you may even have a flood of guests wanting to come over to join in.
Add a backyard putting green
Depending on the available space in your yard and your family’s sporting preferences, a backyard putting green can be the stuff of dreams for golfing homeowners in Austin.
Before artificial grass came along, putting greens were too high-maintenance and costly for most homeowners to consider. But, with the considerable advances in the quality of artificial putting green turf, far more homeowners can entertain this exciting backyard landscape design idea.
Keen golfers can improve their putting on immaculate greens and even incorporate fringe and a chipping area to further enhance their short game.
Every backyard putting green from Artificial Grass Pros is customized and professionally installed to a standard that will last years, even with heavy usage.
Whether you simply need putting practice on a small green with a single hole, want to incorporate more options with a few holes and some undulations or will settle for nothing less than a full PGA-style putting green with sand and/or water hazards, a few smart artificial grass putting green ideas from then professionals can make these possibilities achievable.
Design a dedicated kids’ play area
Another great backyard landscape design idea with artificial grass is a dedicated kids’ play area.
Playgrounds are one of the most popular uses for artificial grass. Many public and commercial parks and playgrounds use synthetic turf because of its excellent safety record and low maintenance requirements. For backyard play areas for kids, it’s a safe, convenient option.The safety standard that playground turf must meet to be considered safe for children is ASTM F1292. This requires that any surfaces used in playgrounds can withstand a certain impact force without causing injury.
Kids’ play areas installed by Artificial Grass Pros are proven to meet this requirement, providing a soft, cushioned landing with excellent durability. They are installed with shock absorbers and can withstand the rough and tumble of boisterous play.
Unlike real grass, little maintenance is required to maintain the immaculate look and soft feel of the grass and parents don’t need to worry about toxic fertilizers/pesticides, muddy feet, uneven surfaces and tripping hazards or bald areas from overuse. Cleaning up spills and other messes is also a breeze with synthetic grass.
Create a dog run
For homeowners in Austin with dogs, creating a dog run in the backyard is another of the most popular landscape design ideas with artificial grass.
A dog run is a safe, outdoor space or extended dog kennel/potty area. It can help your dog spend more time outside running, playing, rolling and enjoying time off the leash.Many homeowners prefer pet turf to real grass because it’s such low maintenance and there are no concerns about dogs digging, muddy paws, odor-buildup, yellow patches or exposure to harmful toxins like with natural grass lawns.
Dog runs are a small investment that can pay big dividends for your dog and your family and come in many shapes and sizes: from small, practical runs attached to existing structures to standalone, portable dog runs and larger ones with multiple features (including digging pits) that may require landscaping.
Artificial grass design ideas for apartment owners
If you live in an apartment with a balcony or a building with a rooftop, you may also be able to reap many of the benefits of artificial grass.
Urban exteriors can install synthetic turf in rooftop seating and entertainment/barbecue areas, around rooftop pools or even for a rooftop putting green.
Apartment balconies can also be beautified and made more functional by artificial grass. Fake grass can be used to enhance balcony garden areas that add a splash of greenery to your urban landscape (without the need for mowing or sprinklers) or even for balcony dog runs for smaller dogs.
Just because you don’t have a backyard doesn’t mean you can’t get a little creative with artificial grass.
Which backyard landscape design is right for you?
Deciding to install artificial grass in your backyard opens up a wide range of possibilities if you select high-quality grass and are prepared to consider professional installation and a few creative backyard landscaping ideas.
Synthetic turf is flexible in how it can be used, durable enough for high-traffic areas, ultra-low maintenance and highly cost-effective over the long run.The team at Artificial Grass Pros can look after everything from laying a simple artificial lawn to bringing a landscaped backyard to life. Discuss your backyard design ideas with a professional by calling us at 512.269.1500.
