While millions of homeowners across the UK relax in their gardens, there are millions more city dwellers who do not have the luxury of a garden. London is a prime example of this. In every borough across the city, the high-density population creates a scarcity of individual outside space, where the use of every balcony, roof garden and yard is maximised.
This has actually caused a creative explosion in the use of artificial grass in London, from the most luxurious of rooftop gardens to the most bijou of
balconies. From Enfield to Ealing, from Barnet to Bromley, artificial grass has found a new creative outlet in the design of modern, imaginative urban landscaping for private dwellings.
What makes artificial grass so suitable for the London rooftop garden?
Homeowners have the choice of a wide range of different pile lengths and textures. From the bargain price of just £9.99 for the 35mm Bargain Lawn, a small Juliette-style balcony can be transformed from a bleak, grey space to a vibrant area festooned with small pots and plants and even room for a small deckchair on a sunny day. For very little money, artificial grass can turn a cold Croydon flat into a warm and welcoming environment with a fresh green outlook that will give pleasure all year round.
At the other end of the scale, city dwellers with access to a substantial roof terrace (and a bigger budget) can recreate a large-scale garden landscape finished with the more luxurious Supreme Lawn (£28.95 sqm) for the ultimate realistic finish, which is soft and cushioned underfoot.
Of key importance is that the artificial lawn can be installed without the need for a sub-base, which not only makes installation that much simpler but also ensures that it remains lightweight. If the product is too heavy, it could cause damage to the roof structure, but even the premium Supreme Lawn is light and suitable.
Taking Care of Drainage Needs
While all our artificial grass products are porous to facilitate effective drainage, even in the heaviest of rains, we always recommend you lay the grass on our incredibly lightweight 18mm open cell foam Lawnflex tiles. This will ensure you have an additional layer, which will help any excess water drain more freely.
Forming a Foundation for Dressing and Decorating
While the artificial grass is an essential foundation for the overall design of the rooftop garden, the real fun is in dressing and decorating the area to create the perfect space for both relaxing and entertaining. Using an array of pots and urns, trellises and cladding, and clever lighting, a rooftop garden can encourage biodiversity with clever planting and a little patience.
Even on the smallest balcony, you can weave strings of solar-powered lights through balustrades to help lift the spirits when looking out on grey streets. Growing different herbs and miniature vegetables in dedicated pots can help you nurture those green fingers. You could even house your own lemon or olive tree if you have enough space in a sunny corner.
Low-Maintenance, All Year Round
The real beauty of using artificial lawns to create an urban rooftop garden is that it is incredibly low-maintenance, will never need mowing, and you can leave it out in all weathers without affecting its overall performance or aesthetics. Manufactured using stable UV polymers, the grass fibres remain unaffected by even the strongest of the sun’s rays, so the lush green appearance never diminishes. Should it get dusty and grimy from the city air, a simple hose down and brush up will bring it back to life in no time.
We recommend a stiff bristle broom is best to brush the grass although and we tend not to recommend that you use a vacuum cleaner to clean your artificial grass as it can remove some of the sand infill. That being said for most balconies, infill sand is not recommended due to the extra weight so you can hoover your balcony lawn if you absolutely must!
DIY or professionally installed?
If you only have a small space to dress, we suggest you measure the space you need and buy it directly from our website. We will give you full instructions on how best to fit it, but if you have any questions, we are only at the end of the phone. For very little money, you can create the perfect little outdoor space.
If your rooftop terrace is larger, you may benefit from our more professional installation service. This will involve us measuring the space available, supplying the recommended grass product and Lawnflex tiles, and laying the grass, including any more challenging obstacles such as lift shafts.
If you would like more information about creating an urban garden using artificial grass, do not hesitate to drop us a line.