If you have been in Las Vegas during the summer, you understand how hot it gets here. While the winters are more cool, the summers can actually get so hot that it is dangerous to be outside for any extended period of time. We have compensated for this heat with air conditioning, and when it gets really unbearable out we just spend our time inside in the cool, however our plants and landscaping do not have that option. Your yard and landscaping elements sit outside all day in the baking sun, and the only way they will survive is if they are provided with large amounts of water. While this is generally not all that much of an issue, if we go into a drought situation and water must be conserved in order for people to have water to drink, then there is a good chance that your landscaping is going to suffer as a result. Smart homeowners do not take the risk of a drought ruining their investment, and choose instead to install artificial elements that are water smart. This style is generally known as xeriscaping or desert landscaping, and it is the concept of using elements that are natural to low water environments that are beautiful and functional.
One of the elements that can be used effectively in Las Vegas but is not technically part of the desert landscaping discussion is artificial turf. This is a synthetic product that is designed to look and feel exactly like living grass, and while a lot of people are so used to seeing a green lawn that they cannot imagine anything else, it is appropriate to consider. Desert landscaping is attempting to recreate the beauty of the desert in your yard, using low water elements to do so. Installing artificial turf is actually nothing like the desert at all, but solves the issue of creating a look that the homeowner wants without the need for constant watering from sprinklers. By creating this look and feel, many people get the best of both worlds by having that parch of green that they cannot imagine living without, and never needing to water it constantly in an attempt to keep it alive in the desert heat. Las Vegas was actually built on the premise of the oasis in the desert, and the creation of an un-natural environment where it should not be able to survive. This is technically the same thing.
Homeowners interested in artificial turf will rest assured knowing that the products have come a long way, and actually look quite natural now. The old astro-turf products of the past did not look or feel very real because they had not yet perfected the product, and did not understand yet about installing it over filler materials that will provide cushioning and make it fee like real grass. An installation of artificial turf today is going to feel just like you still have a yard, even though the water never needs to be turned on. Synthetic grass is good for Las Vegas, when are you going to install yours?