Cutting Edge Lawn Care

America has a love affair with lawns. Although in some drought-troubled areas, many have abandoned grass installations for natural yards better suited to the climate. Many of us aren’t quite ready to leave a lush green lawn behind, though, and homeowners are finding new ways to keep the yard looking fresh and vibrant without abusing water privileges or spending a fortune. Here are two lawn trends that keep the lawn looking good under difficult conditions and a service that makes maintaining a healthy lawn without breaking the bank as easy as a click of the mouse. The future of lawn care is looking mighty green.

Artificial Turf

Your neighbors will never notice the difference. Unless, of course, they were around when your fake grass was installed. Once as easy to spot as a bad toupee, artificial lawns have come a long way and made the move from sports arenas to residential landscapes. Existing sod is removed, a layer of fine gravel is graded and compacted and great rolls of glorious, green “grass” are installed like so much outdoor carpet. Although some object to this synthetic alternative to natural turf, it requires no watering or mowing, leaving your weekends free for recreational pursuits. As the price drops, the quality improves and water scarcity becomes an increasingly common concern, artificial lawns are moving in. Only your landscaper will know for sure.

Lawn Painting

If replacing your entire lawn with stadium-style turf isn’t the right play for you even when it has faded to an unsightly brown, it may be time to go green by the gallon. Applied as a spray, non-toxic “paint” (available from companies like industry pioneer Lawn Lift) quickly returns dying or dormant lawn to a healthy-looking green. Lawn painting is on the rise in California where water is at a premium and an application can boost curb appeal for houses on the market or even help avoid HOA fines when a brown lawn becomes the neighborhood eyesore. Shop carefully. Some less expensive products may leave a trail of green as kids head indoors after a day of play.

Order Lawn Service Online

If your lawn is healthy, but you’re looking for someone to take over the mowing duties, Lawn Mowing Online is connecting homeowners with on-call and on-demand mowers. Think of it as the Uber of lawn mowing with reasonably priced, next-day service and no contracts.

“How the service works is simple,” explains owner James Hassinger. “People sign up that want to mow lawns. When an order comes in (to mow a lawn), they show up, take before photos, mow the lawn, take after photos, then upload them for the customer to review. The customer sees the photos on the website and approves of payment. They can be professional lawn care companies or broke college kids, as long as they have the equipment to mow lawns that is what matters.”

Currently available in 15 cities around the country, LawnMowingOnline has been around since 2009 and its community-based service is a hit with customers and contractors alike.