Artificial grass or real turf: which suits a Scottish garden?

Where artificial grass wins

Artificial grass makes most sense in gardens that struggle to grow decent grass in the first place. Small north-facing plots overshadowed by walls or fences, heavily used dog runs, and compacted new-build gardens are the classic cases. It also suits people who simply do not want to be mowing between showers from April to October.

The surface stays usable year round, needs no mowing, feeding or weedkilling, and does not turn into mud in February. For families with young children and for anyone with limited mobility, that consistency is often the whole point.

Where real turf wins

Real grass is cooler in summer, better for soil life and drainage, cheaper to install, and easy to repair or replace in sections. In a decent-sized open garden with reasonable light, a healthy lawn will always look and feel better underfoot than a synthetic one.

It also handles the long Scottish growing gaps well: turf laid in autumn establishes over winter with almost no watering, which is not true of a lawn laid in June.

Drainage is the real decider

Rainfall in Fife and Tayside means drainage matters more than the surface itself. A lawn on compacted subsoil will waterlog whichever option you choose — real turf will thin out and go mossy, artificial grass laid straight onto that ground will hold water and feel soft.

Either way the groundwork is where the money should go: breaking up compaction, getting levels right, and for artificial grass, building a free-draining sub-base underneath. That is the single biggest difference between an installation that still looks good in eight years and one that does not.

Cost over time

Real turf is cheaper to install. Artificial grass costs more up front and then costs almost nothing to run, whereas a real lawn continues to need a mower, fuel or electricity, feed, moss treatment and your weekends.

Over roughly a decade the two tend to converge. If you value the time as well as the money, artificial grass often comes out ahead; if you enjoy gardening, real turf is hard to beat.

• Choose artificial grass for: shaded plots, dogs, low maintenance, small gardens, year-round usability.
• Choose real turf for: open sunny gardens, larger areas, lower up-front cost, a natural feel and better biodiversity.
• Consider both: many of the gardens we design use turf for the main lawn and artificial grass for a small shaded or high-traffic area.

Common questions

Does artificial grass get waterlogged in Scotland?

Not when it is installed properly. The grass is perforated and the sub-base beneath it is built to let water through. Problems almost always come from laying it over compacted ground without that base.

Will real turf survive a Scottish winter?

Yes. Hard-wearing ryegrass turf copes well with our winters. The bigger risks are waterlogging and heavy use while the ground is soft, which is why drainage and levelling matter so much.

Can artificial grass be laid over an existing lawn?

It should not be. The turf needs to come out and a proper sub-base built, otherwise the surface will sink unevenly and hold water.

More advice

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• When is the best time to cut a hedge in Scotland?
• Storm-damaged trees: what to do first