I agree with Salisbury Landscaping; artificial turf certainly has its place.

I also agree with Chuck B. Edwards. Especially recently, artificial turf vs. natural sod has become an emotional topic. Proponents on each side are not without their prejudices. However, when weighing the two alternatives, the thing to keep in mind is the _function_ you want to derive from the space that you're surfacing. Every function has different criteria, and the criteria will dictate whether to plant natural or artificial grass.

delyanks, is it fair to call artificial grass a "happy medium" between concrete and natural grass? That is to say that, on the one hand, a natural grass yard is a resource hog, but, on the other, concrete isn't soft enough to accommodate the most common domestic recreational activities (e.g. soccer, slip 'n' slide); hence, artificial grass affords the best of both extremes: it's low maintenance just like concrete, but is yet cushioned enough for playing sports on -- and on top of that, it looks great year-round!

Allentuck Landscaping Co., what's your opinion on this: Real Grass Lawns Emit More Greenhouse Gases Than They Absorb?