Charlie’s turf talking to
Anger over garden star’s plastic lawn
TV gardener Charlie Dimmock has been accused of breaking lawn order by using fake grass on her BBC show.
The former Ground Force star was seen adding artificial turf to a children’s play area on Garden Rescue, where designers compete to give outdoor makeovers.
But angry viewers took to social media to claim Charlie had lost the plot – and Gardeners’ World host Monty Don even appeared to have a dig too.
His Twitter account ‘liked’ a tweet saying: “Ban fake grass. Described as great for kids so they can stay clean. What’s wrong with wellies and getting muddy?!”
Fake grass lawns are becoming increasingly popular, but eco campaigners warn they hurt biodiversity when their micro plastics break down into the soil.
One Garden Rescue fan said using artificial grass was “about as much use as concreting over.” Another said it was “irresponsible” to promote something “so environmentally damaging”.
Paul Hetherington, of charity Buglife, said it was a “real shame” Garden Rescue advocated the use of artificial lawns. He said: “Putting in fake grass creates a mini desert as once it’s there, no nutrients can get into the soil beneath.
“It cuts off access for burrowing insects and worms. These lawns also wear out, leaving micro plastics to be digested by critters, birds, frogs and household pets.”
Charlie, 55, won a legion of fans after appearing on BBC’s Ground Force in the 1990s. She returned to TV screens in Garden Rescue last year.
A BBC spokesman said Charlie’s garden was “bursting with biodiversity” and used “a small patch of artificial grass beneath the children’s den in addition to a large natural lawn”.