A well-kept landscape kicks your home's kerb appeal up a notch, provides a nice place to relax and have fun with your family and pets and increases the property's real estate value. In most cases, the state of the landscape depends on the state of the turf. 

Two options exist -- natural and artificial turf installation. The following are the key differences between the two:

Cost

Natural grass requires initial seeding, planting, manure, watering and other maintenance costs such as mowing. These tend to be lifetime costs, as the grass is continuously growing. On the other hand, artificial turf tends to be more expensive for the initial purchase. That is as far as costs go, as there are no maintenance costs for artificial turf. With professional installation, the turf should outlast the initial purchase cost. 

For both turf types, however, the size of the lawn is a significant total cost determinant.

Appearance

Technological advances have resulted in artificial turf that looks almost natural. Sometimes from afar, it is virtually impossible to tell them apart, especially when you have well-kept natural grass. However, the primary difference is that artificial turf is too perfect, on a closer look. 

Since it is manufactured, everything from blade thickness, colour, height, and texture are the same – a feat virtually impossible to achieve in nature. Natural grass is marked by colour, coverage, height and blade thickness variations, as a result of different soil conditions, moisture and light exposure. 

Watering Requirements

Though this is rather obvious, natural grass requires watering while artificial turf is synthetic, hence doesn't require watering. The actual amount of water mostly depends on the soil moisture content, weather, grass variety and hardiness. 

The only watering required is perhaps for cleaning purposes – if a pet soils the turf, for example.

Maintenance and Care

For natural grass to get to that lush look many homeowners seek, it requires resources and man-hours. This includes planting, mulching, weeding, manure, mowing and more. The only care required for artificial grass includes occasional rinsing to remove dust, light raking for fluffiness and blowing organic clutter such as fallen leaves. That is all the input required.

Natural and artificial turfs are both workable ways to beautify your lawn. The choice rests on the individual client's needs and resources such as budget and the desired input – some people actually love growing things and taking care of them, thus opting for the natural type. Whatever the choice, engage a professional landscape contractor for consultation and implementation of your turf. Established contractors should be conversant with the two types of turf.