I'm a gardening expert

BRITS have been warned they should NEVER opt for artificial grass - here's why.

One gardening expert believes the plastic substitute is an "aberration" and should be "outlawed".

While hay fever suffers may delight in the absence of real grass, gardening expert and presenter, Monty Don, has warned against it.

He told The Times: "Artificial grass is an aberration — there is not a good word to be said for it.

"If I were king, I would outlaw plastic grass. It's the opposite of gardening, it cuts us off from the natural world."

The passionate horticulturist encouraged homeowners to let their natural grass grow long in certain areas to benefit wildlife.

"You just need to let some grow long to benefit insects, bird and amphibian life. It's not binary, everything doesn't have to be a fight", he added.

He encouraged all gardeners, amateur and professional, to think about climate change.

"It's not consistent with sustainability. We’re now getting extreme drought, wet and cold. We need to find plants that can cope outside," he added.

Monty also takes issue with golf courses, he explained: "My problem is golf, it's pseudo countryside, so micromanaged, like ski resorts and unnatural.

"But I don't feel aggressive about it."

Artificial grass continues to be subject of debate, and as summer heatwaves approach, Brits across the nation may be considering landscaping renovations.

Other experts agree with the BBC presenter and say having a fake plastic lawn is as environmentally dangerous as "blowing smoke in your baby's face."

The "extreme environmental damage" caused by laying materials like fake turf has been dissuaded by Lynne Marcus, chairperson of the Society of Garden Designers.

She warned: "We want to get through to people who are thinking of putting in artificial grass that it's as serious as not wearing a seatbelt or blowing smoke in your baby's face.

"I find it remarkable that people think it's not OK to get a plastic bag, but it's OK to cover your whole garden with plastic sheeting, which is what you’re effectively doing – and destroying 1,000 years of topsoil to do it."

This comes as one woman regretted installing her own artificial grass.

Jehane Thomas forked out £10,000 for her new garden but it ended up causing even more problems.

The homeowner didn't consider where to put her drain, and she paid the price.

Taking to TikTok, Jehane shared a video of herself emptying her family's paddling pool with a jug.

Writing over the video, she explained: "When you spent nearly £10,000 on a garden refurb to not be able to empty a pool as the drain is the other side of the garden and you don't want to ruin the artificial grass."

"This pool cover better arrive soon cos I ain't doing this again any time soon," she added in the video caption.

And, Sun gardening expert Veronica Lorraine, is also anti-artficial.

Her main concern again was the environmental impact.

She said: "Sadly, although it may look fab for the first couple of years, fake grass does absolutely nothing to encourage crucial wildlife and add biodiversity to a garden.

"It strips insects of their homes, denies worms and birds food and sounds the death knell for the soil underneath.

"Fake turf has a lifespan – and whether it's five or 15 years it will end up as a dreaded landfill, as it can't be recycled.

"It also has a huge carbon footprint. And it still gets really hot in a heatwave."

But she also highlighted it can be useful when parts of the UK are hit with a hosepipe ban.

The fact it doesn't need watering also helps the environment somewhat and no mowing will cut electricity costs.

There's also no need for controversial fertilisers or feeds.

And many gardening and home help gurus stand by fake grass, saying it can add value to your home.

Gardening expert, Fiona Jenkins, from My Job Quote said it may seem controversial to get rid of your lawn and switch it for astro turf - but it could seal the deal for the right buyer and put £6,000 more in your pocket.

She said: "Artificial grass is very appealing to many people. This is because it is extremely easy to maintain.

"It allows you to have a beautiful looking garden all throughout theyear. You have various choices when it comes to artificial grass.

"Plus, it's also great for those with children as the children can playon the grass without messing up your lawn and without getting muddy or dirty.

"The amount of value added will vary, often depending on the size of the lawn area."

This comes as teaching assistant Dawne, praised the plastic substitute in summer heatwaves.

The 51-year-old spent £600 laying high-quality fake grass to transform her garden and has imitation flowers, too.

The mum-of-two said: "Around 80 per cent of my garden is fake, which means it's super-easy to look after and saves me a fortune on my water bill.

"And instead of having to regularly head out with my hosepipe, I vacuum my grass.

"Walking out in my garden with my trusty Dyson, most people would think I’m going to empty it or give it a clean.

"Instead, I run the extension cord to its full length and use it on my garden.

"Within a few minutes, all the loose dirt, leaves and grit is sucked up and the grass is showroom perfect."

The TikTok community were also quick to share love for one woman who transformed her garden on her TikTok account @raesgardentransformation.

She added: "I know there are a lot of sensitive people who watch my videos, so take this as a trigger warning.

"You are gonna see artificial grass in this video."

Someone commented: "Oh. The artificial grass looks softer than I thought it would. Like an outdoor carpet. It's nice."

Rae added: "Yes it is soft, I told the guy in the shop that it was for the baby and he recommended this one as it's softer."

"It's coming together, great work," penned a third.

Meanwhile a another said: "It's coming on lovely."

"Coming together now can't wait to see it finished well done," agreed a third.

The size of the artificial grass market has grown substantially in previous years.

One in ten British households have replaced their garden's lawn with artificial grass.

It has also been estimated that The Artificial Turf Market is forecast to reach $7 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 6.84% during 2020-2025.