[redpoint5]

My front lawn is small; perhaps only 500 square feet. In Portland there is usually a 2-3 month period where grass dries out and turns brown. My neighbors, however, water their lawns and have nice looking green grass all year.

I can't be bothered to pull out a hose and water my lawn, as small as it may be. So, I got to thinking that I would install an automatic sprinkler system with as few as 3 heads. This would require installing a water line under my cement walkway, and wiring in power to the control module. The reward for all this work; a green lawn that now requires mowing during the dry months.

On top of all this, I have to weed, fertilize, kill moss, dethatch, aerate, and overseed. I'm no slouch when it comes to hard work, but this seems excessive just to have an attractive lawn.

That's when it hit me; Astroturf! I'm thinking of ripping up my front lawn and replacing with synthetic. The front lawn is south-facing, and only decorative as it's not large enough (or flat enough) for activities.

Does anyone have experience and can recommend this? It will be another matter to convince the fiance too. She wants real grass and says she would be happy to mow it. I like mowing and will keep the grass in my larger backyard, which tends to stay green unlike the front yard.

Any recommended brands or materials?