If you would like to avoid paving paradise to put up a parking lot, as Joni Mitchell put it, grass block pavers can be a greener choice to surface a driveway, patio, or path.
Grass block pavers create an environmentally friendly surface which helps drainage, prevents erosion, and provides a sturdy base for turf grass to grow.
Sold individually or in sets of four or more, grass black pavers typically are made of concrete or recycled plastic. Concrete is a heavy material; note that many concrete grass block pavers are best bought locally to avoid expensive shipping costs or potential breakage. Read on 10 of our favorite grass block pavers:
Above: Designed by Swiss-based atelier oï, Lunix Lawn Pad paver blocks from Godelmann (shown installed in the top photo) have “very wide joints that promote vegetation growth even in dry weather,” notes distributor Creabeton Matériaux. Suitable for use with turf grass or gravel, each 20.5-inch-long paver is 55 CHF ($55.99 USD) from Creabeton Matériaux. Above: Suitable for driveways, a gray 23-inch Grass Block permeable paver from New Zealand-based Bosun has a diamond pattern with eight full or partial holes to plant grass. For more information and prices, see Bosun. Above: Interlocking Turf Block concrete pavers measure 23.5 by 17.5 inches have soil chambers for planting. For more information and pricing, see San Diego-based RCP Block & Brick.
Above: From New Zealand-based Firth, a 15.75-inch-square concrete Grass Paver can withstand the weight of light vehicle traffic. For more information and prices, see Firth. Above: Made of vibrocompressed concrete, a gray Grating RB6 grass block paver measures 500 millimeters square (approximately 19.7 inches) and is sold in sets of four. For more information and prices, see Italy-based CEDA. Above: A Concrete Grass Block Paver from Tileco measures 11.5 inches by 17.25 inches and is available to purchase in store only at Home Depot. For more pricing and availability, see Home Depot.
Recycled Plastic
Above: A Recyclable Plastic HDPE Grass Paver Grid has a bees-nest shell and is available in four pressure strengths for both residential and commercial load capacities. See the range and pricing at Green Grass Grid. Above: From Grass-Cel, a Porous Turf Paving Block made of eco-friendly recycled materials is sold in packs of 10 blocks; $33.25 AU from Australia-based Grass-Cel. Above: From Truegrid, an Eco Paver made of recycled plastic with interlocking connectors can be cut and shaped to fit around curves and trees; $2.07 from Truegrid. Above: A Suregreen PP40 porous grass paver made of 100 recycled plastic is available in two colors including black and green (as shown) and measures 400 millimeters square (about 19.7 inches). Its open honeycomb structure “promotes excellent root growth where a grass surface is preferred,” notes the manufacturer. It is £12.25 including VAT (bulk discounts are available) from Sure-Green. Above: A four-piece set of 19.7-inch-square Permeable Plastic Grass Pavers from Techno Earth is available in green or black (as shown) and is $79.95 from Home Depot.
If you’re planning a hardscape project, for tips and materials see our curated Hardscape 101 guides to Decks & Patios 101 and Pavers 101. To see how grass block pavers look after they’ve been installed, see some of our favorite projects:
