lesleeht These are 2'x2' concrete pavers with honed oyster shells embedded.

lesleeht It's not mondo grass; however, we used dwarf mondo grass between the pavers leading to the pool area. It worked very well. That area gets enough sun for the grass to remain healthy. The grass around the pool is artificial. These days, there are several different options / looks to choose from.

EasyTurf EasyTurf is great alternative, especially with pool-side applications. Presently FieldTurf leads the artificial grass industry in manufacturing excellence and product innovation. EasyTurf, the landscape arm of FieldTurf, supplies turf to commercial and residential clients throughout North America.

The main differentiation in EasyTurf products is the MaxxFlow backing, a proprietary 100% permeable backing that drains faster and cleaner than any other turf backing, standing toe to toe with the best permeable paver technology. (video here www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPiptLLbaqs)

Other artificial grass brands either have holes punched into the back for drainage or have to come to complete saturation before draining, absorbing bacteria, allergens, urine and other materials before draining.

Feel free to check out the differences for yourself at EasyTurf.com and FieldTurf.com - as a point of reference FieldTurf leads the modern day sports field industry. 21 of 32 NFL teams play or practice on FieldTurf products.

Hope that helps answer your question. Here's a couple of photos of recent installs.