When the topic of switching from natural grass to artificial grass comes up, most Texas homeowners think of replacing a lawn.
But synthetic turf is far more flexible than that. Besides lawns, many backyard landscaping ideas are possible with artificial grass — just like with real grass.
With a little inspiration, you can get the look you want in your yard and keep grassed areas green and beautiful all year round without constant maintenance, regular watering or monthly lawn care bills.
Depending on your available space, budget, and design tastes/preferences, there’s something for almost every Texas homeowner in the following set of backyard ideas…
Considerations when designing backyards in Texas
Before you plan any backyard ideas in Texas, you’ll need to consider the following major factors:
- Space: even in the second largest state, homeowners have space restrictions — one of the most fundamental considerations before designing any landscaping.
- Shade: our sun is hot and backyards need to allow adequate shade if you, your children, and/or your pets plan to spend any time in the yard.
- Water usage: many parts of Texas are suffering from drought and water shortages. Depending on where you are, this may be a major consideration for the ground surface and foliage you include — and a good reason for homeowners to consider the benefits of artificial grass vs natural grass.
- Budget: if you’re working on a tight initial budget, it may restrict some of your ideas. However, if you can budget for the longer term, it may help: despite the higher upfront costs of artificial grass compared with natural grass, it is estimated to pay for itself in 5-6 years with lower maintenance requirements and ongoing costs.
Why install artificial grass in a backyard?
There are several good reasons why more homes than ever in the southern states are installing artificial grass: its eye-catching all-year-round appeal, together with its low maintenance requirements and long-term cost-effectiveness mean that it can bring backyard ideas to life for Texas homeowners — even in our challenging climate.
Here’s a closer look at the reasons to choose synthetic turf for your Texas backyard:
- Almost no maintenance: no watering, cutting, trimming, fertilizing, aerating or weeding is necessary. An occasional cross-brush, hose down or vacuum will keep artificial grass clean and looking immaculate (saving both time and money).
- Cost-effective: no weekly visits from a lawn service team or money spent on fertilizers, seed, mower fuel or even water: this saves you money in the long term as artificial grass usually pays for itself in five years.
- Conserves water: with droughts affecting large parts of Texas, installing artificial grass in your backyard can help you meet water restrictions as well as save money.
- Stays green all year round: synthetic grass looks immaculate all year round, with no bald patches, mud, sun damage, yellowing from dog pee or other problems that affect real grass.
- Better for the environment: artificial turf is made of plastic but requires no chemicals to maintain it and no lawnmower fuel, which is a major contributor to household pollution in the U.S. (this surprises many homeowners).
- Durability: high-quality artificial grass may last beyond 20 years — even in the harsh Texan sun and in high-traffic areas.
- Pet-friendly: dogs enjoy artificial grass almost as much as their owners — pets can play and pee on synthetic turf without you worrying about damage, muddy paws, hole-digging or yellow patches.
- Works with existing yard features: the best artificial turf backyard ideas work around existing soft and hard landscaping features, blending in and adding color and style.
Water restrictions in Texas
Water conservation has often been an afterthought for city dwellers in Texas. In Dallas and Austin, for instance, with the abundance of lakes and rivers, it seems we’re well stocked. But water shortages and restrictions are becoming part of life in the cities as well as in rural areas of Texas.
Outside watering is considered a “non-essential use” of water. On average, watering yards accounts for approximately 30 percent of our total annual water use.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) keeps a database of public water systems in the state that have reported water restrictions due to drought conditions. A glance at it shows how serious the problem has become.
The City of Austin is currently in Stage 2 Drought Water Use Restrictions. Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) released this ordinance on water usage back in 2012 — and it’s still in place:
“Irrigation of landscaped areas with hose-end sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems is limited to no more than twice per week according to the MANDATORY Twice-Weekly Watering Schedule…”.
In Houston, outside water usage is limited to only two days a week between the hours of 7 p.m. and 5 a.m.
And it’s not only Texas. The States of Colorado, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona are facing similar issues, to name a few.
As the population grows (it is projected to double in Northern Texas by 2060), water conservation is becoming a higher priority and we can expect even tighter controls on water usage and higher costs.
This all makes artificial grass attractive for Texan homeowners — but making the switch needn’t limit your backyard landscaping ideas…
Backyard landscaping ideas in Texas (with synthetic grass)
Synthetic grass has been gracing backyards in Texas since the 1970s but, recently, more homes are making the switch. Increasingly, homeowners are seeing the benefits — but where and how are they installing it?
Some just want a low-maintenance lawn but others get more creative and install synthetic turf areas to satisfy creative, leisure, sporting or canine preferences!
Here’s how you can spruce up your backyard living spaces with artificial grass…
A modern landscaped patio area
Synthetic grass works excellently with modern patio areas — as in this example from one of our installations for a Texan homeowner:
Evergreen grass, lush and inviting, surrounds the neutral tones of the spacious patio, perfectly complementing it.
This makes an ideal space for kicking back and enjoying family time in the cool mornings or late afternoon breeze and this idea can be scaled right back for a smaller version if you’re pushed for space.
You might like to include other landscaping ideas, such as raised flower beds or pathways. Each artificial turf installation is customized to work around existing or new features you want to add.
A pool area for all the family
It may seem strange to talk of swimming pools in drought areas. But pools are not emptied and filled often, can act as emergency water storage if necessary, and can protect homes from fires. Compared to regular grass watering, they use much less water.
In the Texan heat, swimming pools are unsurprisingly popular — Texas has one of the highest concentrations of swimming pools in the U.S.
Artificial grass is ideal around swimming pools, especially in pool turf strips, as you can see in this installation from another client of ours in Texas:
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Pool turf is non-slip, soft, cushioned and comfortable to walk on. It stays cooler than pebbles or gravel and it is also resistant to sun and chlorine damage. Professional installations also ensure excellent drainage and unlike with real grass, there’s no trailing of mud in the house – so mum will be delighted!
A backyard putting green/chipping area
Are you a golf fan? If so, you’re not alone in Texas, which has a long history of golfing achievements on the immaculate greens of our many golf courses.
Improving your short game once required a trip to the local golf club but more homeowners are installing backyard putting greens so that they can get a few practice holes in closer to home without getting into the car.
Some yards with available space also add a chipping area with sand traps or water to improve more than just putting, as in this example from one of our installations in Texas:
Real grass putting greens are just too high maintenance and costly. Artificial putting green turf solves that problem and allows you to get a true roll of the golf ball on a green that maintains the ideal pile length all year round with next to no effort.
So, how about a customized putting green with multiple holes in a designated corner of your yard? It will last for years and cost less than you might think…
A child’s playground
Remember the magic of the backyard when you were a kid? It could be whatever you wanted it to be… a fantasy play world, a field for your favorite sport, the place where the family had fun or picnics together, a secret retreat of your own…
For families with children, converting the backyard into a playground makes great use of the space and can trigger children’s imagination and learning in the fresh air outside. In these times, simply tearing children away from their smartphones or tablets can be difficult enough. A play area will entice them to spend more active time outside the home rather than playing games or watching videos.
Many public playgrounds in Texas use synthetic turf. It is one of the safest, most convenient, lowest maintenance, and most durable playground flooring ideas when installed professionally.
At DFW Turf Solutions, playground surfaces are soft and cushioned because underneath the artificial grass is a layer of shock absorber that can withstand anything that kids throw at it.
The lack of toxic fertilizers/pesticides, uneven surfaces/tripping hazards, and muddy feet trailing back through the house after a storm also make synthetic turf a popular choice for playgrounds.
A dedicated dog space/dog run
Do you have a dog that’s considered part of the family?
If you’re like many Texas homeowners, you love it when your dog plays in the backyard — but sweat over what he/she’s going to dig up next.
A few dog-friendly backyard ideas can help ease that feeling. For instance, by creating a dog run or dedicated play area for your best friend, you’ll have more control over what happens in your yard when you’re not looking — while also making sure that he/she stays safe.
Artificial grass is ideal for backyard dog runs. With very little effort from you, the area will stay green with no bald patches, holes, pee stains or muddy paws. Pet turf is specifically designed to withstand the rough and tumble of dog play and will last for many years.
Your dog can still run, play, roll, and enjoy time off the leash but in an area that you designate for it rather than running riot in your prized flowerbeds. Depending on the size of your dog and the available space in your yard, a dog run can be small, practical, and portable or a larger structure with multiple features (even digging pits). It can be standalone or attached to existing yard structures.
A sports court
Commercial sports fields up and down the land have switched to artificial turf from natural grass — primarily for its low maintenance and cost-saving benefits (over half of all NFL stadiums use turf).
You don’t need to invite an NFL team into your backyard — but a small soccer field or volleyball court can provide exercise and fun for the kids.
If you don’t have the space, a small bocce ball court may be more suitable. All the family can play. Some bocce ball courts are constructed of gravel but you can use synthetic grass to accent the spaces around it.
Stone pavers and/or water features
You can do more than a simple lawn and fence area in your backyard.
Regardless of the size of your backyard area, stone pavers or other simple landscaping ideas, such as water features (rock pools, fountains) can add a unique style to the space.
Pavers are a popular and practical addition for backyards of all shapes and sizes. A few modern paving slabs with artificial grass around them can add elegance to your space even if you’re on a tight budget.
Water features take a little more thought but also work well with artificial grass installed around them for contrast. Raised flower beds are another good landscaping idea to consider, adding more color variation and texture to your space.
Synthetic turf ideas for Texas apartment owners
Apartment owners don’t have the benefit of backyards but may have balcony spaces or rooftops that they can utilize creatively.
Sometimes, small seating areas or entertainment or barbecue areas with artificial grass can spruce up external apartment spaces. Some apartment owners even create small dog runs or areas around a rooftop pool. Rooftop putting greens are a rare sight but not an impossibility!
You can’t grow natural grass but you can add a lifelike splash of greenery to your surroundings even in urban apartment environments using synthetic grass — no sprinkler system or mowing required!
Bring your Texas backyard idea to life
High-quality artificial grass installed by professionals can bring your backyard ideas to life and last up to two decades.
Synthetic turf is ultra-low maintenance, durable, cost-effective, looks immaculate all year round, and is flexible enough to use for many different backyard ideas.
If you’re in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas and need some inspiration for backyard ideas with artificial turf, contact DFW Turf Solutions.
