New ideas for garden boundaries are always cropping up where space is limited. The Grasse Collection, to be launched next month by Sunny Aspects, includes two novelties: The Grasse Hedge and The Grasse Fence.
The former appears to be a vertical grass barrier made up of long-lasting artificial grass, pressure-treated timber and marine plywood. Of course, we all know that grass doesn't grow vertically, but, if it did, it could give a nice lawn-like effect (assuming they get the colour right) and save a lot of space. Natural hedges forming outdoor shed areas are bulky and the Grasse Hedge is the proposed alternative. It has depth rather like a shed, which can be used as storage space, for instance of bicycles and any suitable junk you care to include, all enclosed by mown Grasse panels, which look agreeable and take up little space.
The Grasse Fence, a sheer barrier of what appears to be mown grass, is a mere 10cm deep (amazingly space-saving) and could form a private enclosure for a swimming pool or any sort of activity for which the extra space in pleasant surroundings will be appreciated. Both have been manufactured for Sunny Aspects by The Timber Workshop.
The provision of additional space in an agreeable setting has obvious attractions, providing it "works". But the mind may boggle at the idea of simulated mown grass, presented vertically. Real mown grass, although a nuisance to maintain, has many plus points, not least the scent of growing plants and the extra smell, with which we are all familiar, of turf just after it has been mown. Real grass looks alive and has a living sparkle. Similarly, real hedges have a life of their own and a community of wildlife from spiders to nesting and sheltering birds. The plants composing the hedge may have their own individuality; flowering, fruiting, losing and regaining their leaves, and in general reflecting the seasons. Is not the Grasse idea something of a mockery? Granted, it makes life easier, but we have gardens because they are a living outdoor space where we can combine our own ideas with the pulse of nature.
It's a start, I suppose, and better than looking at a solid block of concrete - it's a practical solution to ongoing problems and will doubtless give rise to many bright ideas. I imagine that the Grasse invention will be replaced with, or added to, other solutions, avoiding the taint of the ridiculous. In any case, novelty has its own appeal.