A landscaping consultant took to TikTok to warn homeowners about the dangers of a commonly used tool in many landscaping situations.
Sophie of urbanfarmsla (@urbanfarmsla) shared a video on TikTok of a yard she was called to work on and took the time to detail many of the issues she found with it, with the caption "Plz don't do this to your home."
@urbanfarmsla Plz don't do this to your home. #plasticturf #lawns #landscapedesign #gravel #rocks #decomposedgranite #landscapefabric #urbanheatisland #garden #desert #xeriscape ♬ original sound - urbanfarmsla
First, she pointed out the widespread use of landscaping fabric underneath the plethora of gravel in the yard.
"It doesn't keep out weeds," she said, "All it does is leach microplastics into our environment, and it's an added cost for you."
Landscape fabric is widely touted as a means to keep out weeds in garden beds and gravel pathways, particularly under mulch. However, any benefit is gone within a year or two, and it must either be removed and replaced, or you run the risk of it breaking down into microplastics, which can have profound negative impacts on the soil.
She also calls out the lack of vegetation in the yard, which fails to create animal habitat and heats both the home and the surrounding environment by providing very little shade and cover for the earth.
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Lastly, she points out the use of Mexican feathergrass, a popular landscaping plant that is considered invasive in California. Mexican feathergrass outcompetes native species for space, sunlight, and nutrients in the soil, and needs to be closely monitored, as it can spread very quickly out of its designated place in the garden.
There are better ways to create aesthetic and ecologically friendly lawns than this gravel-heavy method. Switching to a natural lawn and rewilding your yard with native plants and grasses can create truly gorgeous results.
Commenters applauded her efforts.
"Thank you for sharing this!" one said, "Such important info."
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No way 👎 "I HATE landscape fabric," said another.
"As someone who works with landscapers this is terrible," said a third.
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