Picture this...the perfectly manicured lawn with no seasonal planting, no high priced watering bills, and no uneven patches. Just absolute perfection from one end of your yard to the other. You never have to maintain, weed, fertilize, or mow. Just enjoy. And then reality hits...you really can have this. So, where do you go to reach this paradise? And how do you make sure you're getting the best product with top quality installation instead of some cheap imitation?

The American Synthetic Turf Institute (ASTI) is a great place to start for recommendations on professional contractors. With a long term investment such as this, it pays to do your research. Any company that has an ASTI top certification is where you'll find the best in the business for synthetic turf companies. A company must undergo rigorous training and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to excellence in order to be ASTI certified. This points you in the right direction.

Once you've narrowed the list of possibilities down to your area check these potentials out through their artificial grass websites. Find out how long they've been in business. Compare that to their warranties. If they offer five, seven, or even ten year warranties but have only been in business for two, it's probably smart to question their dependability. It's become quite common for a lot of these fly-by-the-night synthetic turf companies to try out the synthetic turf industry after having a history of changing from being a landscaping company one year to become a concrete coating company the next. How can they uphold their warranties if they're not going to be around for that long?

Before you get your permanently perfect lawn installed, ask your potential artificial grass company about their product's durability and upkeep. Any kind of inclement weather such as freezing and thawing should be no problem with a good quality synthetic turf. Even Arizona's lack of inclement weather and surplus of intense sunshine shouldn't fade the richness of color in their product's materials. But, when it does rain, make sure the product you're buying will not collect water which creates mildew and other fungi. Not only would that release an unpleasant odor, but it is a serious health issue as well. It will also detract interest to bugs, such as gnats, tics, ants, and mosquitoes.

Have outside pets? Practice sports at home? Shouldn't be a problem. If the artificial grass company you're interested in is as good as they claim, having a pet and practicing sports, with all the traffic that creates, should just be a bonus. Clean up after pets should be just as easy as with a regular lawn, scoop up and spray off. Bottom line, you should have a lawn that is tough enough for high traffic wear such as professional sports, but soft enough for children's play - including playground equipment.

All in all, make sure your potential artificial grass company has your best interest in mind. You are the one that will have to either enjoy it or endure it every day. It's your investment. Your dream. Make sure their technicians are highly trained with several years of experience in quality synthetic turf installation - not just the slapping of concrete and gluing or nailing down something green. But, actually outlining your design and laying a quality turf that won't wrinkle, creep, or budge. Years after your technician has completed his installation you should be able to call up the same artificial grass business and tell them their work still looks as good as new.