Artificial Gardens?

This is an extreme exaggeration, but why do people do this to their yards? I was driving back and forth between Greenville and Washington today and I saw so many houses with artificial flowers planted in actual flower beds in front of their houses. What is up with this? The neighborhood in between our office and Gabe's daycare is the worst when it comes to these artificial gardens! Some even have them planted as borders framing the front sidewalks! People, please stop doing this to your yards-nothing planted would look 100% better than this crap! Sorry if this offends anyone, but this has become a new pet peeve.