Artificial grass vs real grass: which is right for your garden?
It is the question almost every garden owner in Wigan asks us first, and the honest answer is that both can be right — for different gardens, and different households.
Real grass is lovely when it is at its best. Artificial grass is at its best all year round. The choice comes down to how you actually use your garden, how much time you want to spend on it, and what your garden is like in the first place.
Here is the comparison we give our own enquirers, without pushing either way.
How they look through the year
Real grass looks its best in late spring and early summer, when the weather is kind and it has been cut regularly. In a wet Wigan winter it thins, gets muddy where it is walked on most, and can stay soggy for weeks after rain.
Artificial grass looks the same in January as it does in June: green, even and tidy, whatever the weather has done. It does not grow, so it does not need cutting, and it does not turn to mud underfoot. What it will not do is change with the seasons the way a real lawn does — some people miss that, and it is worth being honest about.
If you love the look and smell of a freshly cut real lawn and you enjoy looking after it, that matters. If you mainly want a garden that always looks cared for, with no work in between, artificial grass has the edge.
The work involved
A real lawn needs regular cutting through the growing season, feeding, weeding, and dealing with bare patches, moss and worn areas where children and dogs play. Leave it for a few weeks in summer and it shows.
An artificial lawn needs very little: a brush every now and then to lift the pile, a rinse if a pet has used it, and leaves cleared off in autumn. That is most of the maintenance there is. It will not need mowing, feeding or weeding, and there are no bare patches to repair.
For a busy family, or for someone who would rather spend weekends using the garden than maintaining it, that difference is usually the deciding factor.
Mud, pets and children
This is where the two part company most clearly in a North West garden.
Real grass and heavy use do not mix well in wet weather. A garden used every day by children or a dog will wear thin in the same places, and wet feet and paws bring mud back into the house.
Artificial grass drains through its backing, so the surface stays usable after rain instead of turning into a mud patch. Dogs can use it, children can play on it in all weathers, and there is no mud to trail indoors. It is one of the main reasons families in Wigan and Standish ask us about it.
One thing to know: artificial grass can feel warm underfoot on a hot, sunny day, and it does not cool the air the way a living lawn does. In shade, or in a garden that is used mostly in the cooler months, that rarely matters.
Shade, slopes and awkward gardens
Real grass struggles in deep shade — under large trees, or in a garden hemmed in by high fences and walls. It thins, moss takes over, and no amount of seed quite fixes it.
Artificial grass does not need sunlight to stay green, so a shady garden is no problem for it. It also works well on slopes and awkward shapes, where a mower is hard work and a real lawn is difficult to keep even.
That said, a sunny, well-drained garden with good soil is where real grass is at its happiest. If your garden gets plenty of light, drains well, and you are happy to look after it, real grass can thrive there for years.
How long each lasts
A real lawn does not have a lifespan in the same way — it can be kept going indefinitely with care, and it can also be worn out in a single wet winter if it is used hard and neglected.
A well-installed artificial lawn, laid on a proper compacted base with drainage and a fixed edge, should last for many years of family use. What shortens its life is almost always the installation, not the grass itself: a thin base that settles, edges that were never fixed, or seams that were pinned instead of taped and glued. That is why the specification matters more than the turf on its own — ask what is in the quote, in writing, before you accept it. Read our guide on what to ask before you accept a quote.
Which should you choose?
Use this as a rough guide:
- Choose real grass if you love gardening, your garden is sunny and well drained, and you are happy to mow, feed and repair it through the year.
- Choose artificial grass if you want a garden that is always green and usable, you have children or dogs, your garden is shady or gets muddy, or you simply do not want the upkeep.
- Choose artificial grass if you have tried real grass and it has worn out in the same places, year after year. That pattern rarely fixes itself.
Neither choice is wrong. The wrong choice is the one that does not fit how you live in your garden.
Not sure? Ask us to look at your garden
Every garden is different — soil, shade, drainage and how it is used all change the answer. Send us rough dimensions and a photo or two, and we will come out, look at the garden properly, and give you an honest view on which option suits it, with a free fixed written quote if you go ahead with artificial grass. No obligation, and no pressure either way.
We install artificial lawns across Wigan, Standish and the North West, as well as porcelain paving, resin bound driveways and bespoke fencing. Read the full guide on our artificial grass cost page.
Find out what your garden would cost
Rough size and a couple of photos is all we need to get started. Call 07967 293173, email everlastinglawns@icloud.com, or get a free quote — free survey, fixed written price, no obligation. Our office is 85 School Lane, Standish, Wigan WN6 0TE.
