When it comes to considering the perfect ground covering for your children’s play set, NewGrass® artificial grass is the optimal choice. These synthetic lawns are lead-safe, hypo-allergenic, don’t stain clothes, prevent dirt and mud from being tracked inside, and eliminate the kind of injuries that a fall on gravel, sand or dirt can cause.

Day care centers, elementary schools and outdoor play equipment companies agree, and for all of the same reasons.

In fact, NewGrass® is the waterless grass of choice of Backyard Adventures of San Diego and Phoenix, arguably the nation’s premier outdoor play equipment company, with showrooms in Phoenix, Ariz., and in San Diego and San Marcos, Calif.

“NewGrass® is an eco-friendly, natural-looking and incredibly safe alternative to any other kind of surface under our play sets,” said Paul Parker, president of Backyard Adventures, at his flagship showroom in San Diego.

“We’re also very big on the fact that NewGrass® is lead-safe, and provides really great performance and safety under our play sets,” Parker added.

As a ground cover for play areas, NewGrass® is superior to traditional natural products, including grass, sand and wood chips, Parker said.

Turf grass and its weeds can aggravate allergies, plus they need fertilizers, pesticides, watering and maintenance.

Sand and wood chips create cushioned surfaces, but both are messy, scatter easily and routinely need to be replenished. Perhaps least appealing of all, sand and wood chips can attract cats, who consider these coverings to be one big litter box.

NewGrass® is growing rapidly in California – and for reasons as varied as the locations of the projects and the different needs that our eco-friendly artificial lawn meets.

Environmentally safe NewGrass® synthetic grass from NewGrass Landscape & Design is being chosen to meet landscaping and water-conservation challenges from the backyard of a patio home in Huntington Beach, south of Los Angeles, to the front yard of a single-family home in Petaluma, north of San Francisco.

Customers from Orange County to Sonoma County and places in between say they opted for fake grass – and specifically chose NewGrass artificial grass and NewGrass Landscape & Design – for reasons that range from simply being tired of mowing a natural sod grass to a desire to save water and cut down on their water bills.

“I’m old and can’t cut grass anymore, that’s why I went with fake grass,” said 80-year-old Joe Schneider of Tracy, Calif. In fact, Schneider had no lawn at all since he moved into his San Joaquin County home eight years ago.

“I had slow plans to fix up the yard, and then my daughter came to live with us and said we had to fix the yard up,” Schneider said of his home in the Central Valley.

Schneider said he chose NewGrass® because it was the “most prominent” faux grass to pop up in his Internet search.

Tom Brice, of Placentia also said ease of maintenance was why he chose waterless grass for his patio home.

“It’s simply a much better look for the maintenance it requires, that’s for sure,” Brice said of his Orange County home’s new landscaping.

Brice chose NewGrass® and NewGrass Landscape & Design primarily for the price.

“I bought the best one I could afford,” he said.

Water conservation and high water bills meanwhile persuaded Joni and Bob Dyson to choose artificial grass for their 1,300 square foot corner lot in San Mateo.

“Our lawn was shot, it needed to be re-sod, and with our water bill the way it was, and in the middle of a draught, it didn’t make any sense to us to spend the money for sod and irrigation, and then not be able to water it because of the draught.”

NewGrass® from NewGrass Landscape & Design allowed the Dysons to triple the size of their landscaped yard in the San Francisco Bay area, while also cutting their water bill. They’d already nearly stopped watering their lawn to save water and money.

The Dysons looked at other fake grass companies but were first impressed with the quick initial response from Larry Reno at NewGrass Landscape & Design and said they were sold on his professionalism, knowledge and concern for their unique needs.

“Our yard is a showcase now,” Bob Dyson said.

NewGrass® artificial grass, which is increasingly recognized as the eco-friendly synthetic lawn for home and commercial landscaping, is now earning a reputation as a superior no-water lawn for athletic fields.

NewGrass Rye was recently installed on a 4,500-square-foot field at a new national-chain fitness center in suburban Denver. Not only are the members and management pleased with the look and feel of the lawn, local news media have also given it two thumbs up.

“The grass looked and felt great,” said Joana Canals, a certified fitness instructor and reporter for Fox television in Denver.

The field was installed by Mile High Synthetic Turf, an authorized NewGrass® distributor based in Brighton, Colo.

“We’re very proud of this job and one reason is that the grass has performed so well for the athletes,” said Bart Stoneback, owner of Mile High Synthetic Turf. “It really proves the range of uses for NewGrass lawns.”

Canals recently reported for Fox 31 about the SPARQ Training program that is conducted on the field of NewGrass Rye. SPARQ, which stands for speed, agility, reaction and quickness, uses technology and a smarter training approach to improve the performance of high school and other team athletes.

SPARQ Training includes a variety of tests on the waterless NewGrass field. Canals reported on the program as a group of high school football players went through the training, and she later did the training herself.

“You guys did a great job on the grass,” Canals told NewGrass®.

In addition to having the look and feel of real grass for athletes, NewGrass® artificial grass is also lead-safe and 100% recyclable.

Winter is just around the corner, and that’s a reminder that spring landscaping plans aren’t far behind. As you consider what to do differently next year, think about creating a truly healthy lawn – a lawn that’s environmentally friendly as well as healthy for pets, children and wildlife.

You may think your lawn is not important in the big scheme of protecting the environment or being eco-friendly. But consider this: When added up, all of the lawns across the United States would cover the state of Ohio.

Needless to say, that much natural turf grass requires a lot of water, pesticides and fertilizers.

“How we manage our lawns affects the health of our children, pets, wildlife and water quality,” according to Lynn Markham, a land use specialist with the Center for Land Use Education at the University of Wisconsin.

Markham suggests three steps for creating a lawn that’s healthy of the environment and for your pets and family. NewGrass® couldn’t agree more.

Avoid using pesticides. Pesticides are potentially harmful to children, pets and wildlife. Also, they can be tracked into the house or leach into the groundwater. NewGrass® requires no pesticides if it has been properly installed and the base material properly prepared.

If you must fertilize, avoid phosphorus. Phosphorous accelerates algae growth in lakes and rivers, and lawn fertilizer is a major source of phosphorous in our waters. Markham writes that fertilizing the lawn of a typical half-acre lot could add more than 50 pounds of phosphorous to that yard each year. Eco-friendly NewGrass® of course requires no fertilizer at all. In addition, it is lead-safe, and 100% recyclable with polyethylene blades and a bio-based backing.

Get small. Reduce your turf grass footprint. Plant more trees, shrubs, wildflowers and tall grasses, and consider installing synthetic lawn particularly in areas that are hard to maintain or require unusually high amounts of water, pesticides or fertilizer.

One of the great things about NewGrass® artificial lawn is how many uses people seem to find for it.

Sure, NewGrass® is still most popular as the eco-friendly, water-wise alternative to sod grass for residential landscaping. But NewGrass® also has been used in portrait studios, on inner-city rooftop terraces and for trade show displays, to name just a few different kinds of applications that are as smart in use as they are smart-looking.

San Francisco portrait photographer Jeffrey Alexander said he chose NewGrass® to simulate real grass in his studio after experimenting for years with other options, including sod grass and carpeting.

Neiman Marcus and JC Penney designers have also chosen NewGrass® for their studio.

NewGrass® is often chosen over natural turf by studio photographers for two simply reasons. First, they live and work in areas that don’t have a dependable supply of soft, green sod grass in the middle of winter. Second, NewGrass® is a no-muss, no-fuss, easy-to-set up and totally reusable alternative to real grass for studio photography.

Sears, Roebuck and Co. used NewGrass® as the floor covering for a recent trade show display to show off spring designs.

The TV show Dinner & a Movie used NewGrass® synthetic lawn to help transform a barren downtown rooftop into an attractive outdoor living space.

“NewGrass® is a great choice for a rooftop terrace,” said company president Greg Goehner. “Even when it’s wet, after a rain or snowfall, a NewGrass installation won’t impact a building with standard weight-being limitations.”

The rate at which NewGrass drains water are one reason it’s safe for rooftops and terraces. The fact that its Premium Rye and Rye varieties look great even without an infill are another reason, Goehner said.

If you’re considering xeriscape landscaping for your home or garden, NewGrass® gives you the option of including lush, green lawn as part of your eco-friendly, super-water-wise ground design.

“NewGrass® gives any xeriscape design an added dimension of rich texture, natural beauty and healthy green color all year and in any climate,” said company president Greg Goehner.
According to the informational web site About.com, xeriscaping is essentially a “landscape design that has been carefully tailored to withstand drought conditions.”

Xeriscape landscaping can take many forms. For some, it’s simply grouping plants with similar watering requirements together on the landscape. For others, xeriscape landscaping means using only plants that are indigenous to the region, and relying only on natural rainfall or reclaimed water.

Whatever xeriscape means to you, and however much you want to reduce your household’s water consumption, a NewGrass® synthetic lawn can be a natural choice in a xeriscape design for a number of reasons:

• NewGrass® requires virtually no watering and no fertilizers or pesticides, so it’s a perfect match for low-water-use, environmentally conscious landscaping.
• NewGrass® offers even the most rigorous xeriscape design an area where your pets can play and roam – and where the kids can play, too!
• NewGrass® fits into hard-to-access areas and in garden landscapes that have irregular borders or planting configurations.
• NewGrass® naturally complements any form of shrub, plant, garden rocks or gravel.
• Compared with natural turf grass, NewGrass® significantly reduces the number and kinds of pests and insects, aiding your entire xeriscape design.
• NewGrass® is certified 100% eco-friendly, made in part from recycled products and is itself totally recyclable.

Fort Worth, Texas – Replacing traditional sod grass with an artificial lawn like NewGrass® will not only cut your water bill dramatically, it could actually put money in your pocket.

More and more water agencies and cities are not only encouraging synthetic grass as a way to conserve water. Many of them, especially in the West and Southwest, are offering rebates for artificial lawn installation.

Water districts and artificial grass industry groups estimate that between 60% and 70% of a homeowner’s average water bill is used on landscaping – and most, if not all of that amount, is used to keep the lawn green.

The average U.S. household consumes 101 gallons of water per day per person, according to published information. For a family of four, that’s nearly 12,290 gallons a month on average. During peak lawn-watering months, that means the average family of four is using between 7,374 and 8,603 gallons a month to water their lawn and shrubs.

A NewGrass® yard virtually eliminates the need to water your lawn. You may want to water your synthetic lawn occasionally to clean off debris or accumulated dust. But for the life of the lawn, that’s about it. (NewGrass® carries a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.)

You can estimate your own outdoor water use by taking a look at your monthly water bills and multiplying the total amount (either the number of gallons consumed or the dollar amount you pay) by 0.6. Your local water district may be able to give you a better idea of how much water is used in your area on outdoor landscaping.

There are also several web sites to help you calculate your household’s water use, both inside and outside. Three of those are:

1. Water Budgets.com
2. The California Urban Water Conservation Council
3. The Desert Water Agency

In addition to trimming your water bill, you may be eligible for cash rebate for replacing your sod grass with faux grass or installing synthetic lawn from the get-go. The list of cities and water districts that offer rebates is constantly changing. The best thing to do is call you local water utility company and ask about their rebate program.

To get an idea of what’s out there, you can visit the Association of Artificial & Synthetic Grass Installers Web site to get more information about many cities and districts that currently offer rebates including:

1. Arizona - Flagstaff, Tempe, Glendale, Phoenix and Scottsdale
2. California has several active and pending programs
3. Colorado has several active and pending programs
4. Oregon has programs under consideration
5. Washington has programs under consideration
6. Nevada has several active and proposed programs
7. New Mexico has rebate programs

NewGrass® is proud to be an ally in the EPA’s GreensScape Program and the only artificial lawn that is Certified 100% Eco-Friendly, from the way it is manufactured to the company’s pledge to properly recycle any NewGrass® lawn at the end of its usable life, at no cost to the customer.

NewGrass® has been featured on Bob Vila, The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television, Fine Living TV’s American Shopper, Makeover and a Movie and a special Think Green episode of Designing Spaces on We tv and TLC - The Learning Channel.

Fort Worth, Texas – As demand grows for green building materials, NewGrass® synthetic lawns have the potential to help builders and contractors obtain advantageous credits toward green building certification.

Buildings that are LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) obviously have marketing and public relations advantages in today’s eco-aware environment. In addition, they cost less to operate, have higher occupancy rates, enhance occupant health and increase return on investment, according to studies from the U.S. Green Building Council, which developed and manages the system.

NewGrass® is also proud to announce that it is a U.S. Green Building Council national member.

The Council’s LEED rating system has become the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance “green buildings.” The Council says the system gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance, including site development, water savings, energy efficiency and materials selection.

The LEED system defines the requirements to achieve prerequisites and voluntary points toward certification in several different categories, including New Construction and Major Renovations (a category for Homes is still under development, and the category for Schools is based on the New Construction ratings system).

With its EnviroCel™ backings, NewGrass® may contribute to total ratings under LEED credit for New Construction in the following categories:

• Water Efficiency Credit 1.1. - Water Efficient Landscaping: reduce by 50%
• Water Efficiency Credit 1.2 – Water Efficient Landscaping: no potable water use or no irrigation
• Water Efficiency Credit 2.1 – Construction Waste Management: divert 50% from disposal
• Materials & Resources Credit 2.2 - Construction Waste Management: Divert 75% from disposal
• Materials & Resources Credit 3.1 – Materials Reuse: 5%
• Materials & Resources 3.2 - Materials Reuse: 10%
• Materials & Resources Credit 3.2 - Materials Reuse: 10%
• Materials & Resources Credit 4.1 – Recycled Content: 10% (post-consumer plus ½ pre-consumer)
• Materials & Resources Credit 4.2 - Recycled Content: 20% (post-consumer plus ½ pre-consumer)
• Materials & Resources Credit 5.1 – Regional Materials: 10% extracted, processed and manufactured regionally
• Materials & Resources Credit 5.2 – Regional Materials: 20% extracted, processed and manufactured regionally

It’s important to note that LEED ratings are based on project’s total point score, not only on its buildings materials. For example, under New Construction, the Water Efficiency Credit 1.1, for Water Efficient Landscaping, requires the entire project to reduce water use by 50%.
NewGrass® is proud to be an ally in the EPA’s GreensScape Program and the only artificial lawn that is Certified 100% Eco-Friendly, from the way it is manufactured to the company’s pledge to properly recycle any NewGrass® lawn at the end of its usable life, at no cost to the customer.

Fort Worth, Texas – When the national TV show The Balancing Act wanted to help one busy family find more enjoyable time outdoors at home and do it in a safe and eco-friendly way, NewGrass® artificial grass was a big part of the solution.

NewGrass® will be featured an episode of The Balancing Act episode airing on Lifetime Television on July 17 at 7 a.m. Eastern, 6 a.m. Central and Mountain time.

The Balancing Act is an original, informative, magazine-style half-hour television series hosted by Dr. Wendy Walsh, Kim Alexis, Kathy Peterson and Maria Bailey.

The show is geared toward women who are juggling career and home, wanting to “get it right” when it comes to health, family, finances and lifestyle, according to the show’s web site.
“We’ve always been aware of the big role women play when it comes to making design and spending choices for improving the home environment, and that includes landscaping and play areas,” said NewGrass® President Greg Goehner, who is interviewed in the segment. “The Balancing Act audience is well-served by learning about an alternative like NewGrass®.”

“Could your grass be greener?” host Wendy Walsh asks at the top of the upcoming segment featuring NewGrass®. “You might just need to re-think how green your green is …. As more and more neighborhoods face water restrictions, and we become more concerned about air and water pollution, you may be in need for a good water-saving, environmentally conscious alternative.”

NewGrass® is proud to be an ally in the EPA’s GreensScape Program and the only artificial lawn that is Certified 100% Eco-Friendly, from the way it is manufactured to the company’s pledge to properly recycle any NewGrass® lawn at the end of its usable life, at no cost to the customer.

Lifetime Television is a leader in women’s television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. Launched in 1984, Lifetime now serves 96 million households nationwide and is TV’s most popular women’s network.

NewGrass® has also been featured on Bob Vila and Fine Living TV’s American Shopper, and a special Think Green episode of Designing Spaces on The Learning Channel.

Fort Worth, Texas – NewGrass® synthetic lawn is proud to be featured in a special “green” edition of the national TV show Designing Spacesairing June 27 and 29.

The Think Green series of Designing Spaces is dedicated to helping people find eco-friendly ways of improving and expanding their home environment, from suggestions for ways to reduce water use inside the home to environmentally conscious ways to have more lawn to enjoy year-round outside the house.

NewGrass® will be featured on the Think Green episode of Designing Spaces airing June 27 at 7:30 a.m. Eastern on We tv and June 29 aty 7 a.m. Eastern on TLC (The Learning Channel).

Designing Spaces is a half-hour television series that inspires viewers to make every space count, and to enjoy the space they live in. Each episode explores exciting ideas from flea market finds to fine fashion furnishings.

“We’re extremely proud that Designing Spaces selected NewGrass® for this series,” said Company President Greg Goehner, who is interviewed in the episode, filmed mostly in Scottsdale, Ariz. “We are dedicated to being eco-friendly in every aspect of our business and are becoming recognized for that.”

Goehner also said it was interesting that two channels as seemingly different in their audiences as We tv and TLC will be airing the special edition of Designing Spaces.

“One channel dedicated to women’s topics and one pretty much to science and history,” Goehner said. “The features and quality of NewGrass® appeal to both audiences.”

NewGrass® has been featured on Bob Vila and Fine Living TV’s American Shopper, and will be featured in an episode of The Balancing Act TV show airing on Lifetime on July 4.

NewGrass® is proud to be an ally in the EPA’s GreensScape Program and the only artificial lawn that is Certified 100% Eco-Friendly, from the way it is manufactured to the company’s pledge to properly recycle any NewGrass® lawn at the end of its usable life, at no cost to the customer.