"But unfortunately, I don't have a green thumb," he said.

So over the years, he has struggled to keep his grass green, working through details of watering and fertilizing that might have given even a seasoned professional fits.

"I had real grass, and I had to fight drought and fertilize it, and then I had to cut it every week," he said. "It all added up, and I wondered what can I do to make my life easier."

Then, when he was attending a home show at the New Jersey Exposition Center in Edison last year, he saw a presentation that intrigued him.

JM Synthetic Grass of Rutherford offered an artificial grass that didn't look artificial.

"It seemed to have everything I was looking for," Wojslawowicz said. "It was always green. I didn't have to water it. I didn't have to fertilize it. And I didn't have to cut it. So I asked them to give me a quote."

JM Synthetic Grass of Rutherford installed Wojslawowicz's lawn during summer of 2005. This grass is a polyethylene substitute that is being used for a variety of purposes from lawn replacement and athletic facilities to road medians, playgrounds and even business exteriors.

"Our customers like that the grass looks perfect 365 days a year, and requires no maintenance - watering, seeding, mowing or chemicals," said Jeff Mitnick, company president. "It won't attract bugs or animals, or cause allergies. And, it saves people money as well as the time and aggravation of spending hours mowing their lawn on hot days when they'd rather be doing something else."

Wojslawowicz said his was not a large project, about 600-square-feet in total, but the grass is green, which is what he wanted, and he is relieved of the ritual of chores that required him to maintain even a marginal green in the past.

"I used to get strips of green from where I fertilized it," he recalled.

In the past, artificial grass had a bad name mostly because it looked artificial, more like a rug than a lawn. But the product JM installed on Wojslawowicz's property is the next generation with the look and feel of real grass, with individual blades and an undercoat that mimics dirt.

JM Synthetic Grass includes a 10-year warranty. Mitnick considers the installation, which is done with a machine that looks like a street sweeper and is usually completed within two days, to be a craft.

"We are often asked to level off an area to cover roots, or to lay it around trees or swimming pools," he said. "The workmanship needs to be at a very high level. We offer a guarantee on all jobs, whether it's on a roadside median or in a park, which is why it needs to be perfect."

JM Synthetic Grass can be applied to virtually any surface. Since the grass has its own drainage system, there is never a problem with flooding. A weed barrier eliminates the possibility of any undesirable growth. The synthetic grass can even be custom-designed to allow for plants or flowers.

But this is not to say that Wojslawowicz avoids all chores. The 58-year-old engineer still has to deal with seeds in spring and leaves in fall. But instead of going out to rake his lawn, he goes out with a vacuum cleaner.

"This grass is going to last as long as I do," he predicted.