Making the Grass Greener, By Any Means Necessary

With drought conditions not seen in the U.S. since the middle of the last century, the battle to maintain the lushest lawn in the neighborhood has heated up. <em>The Dirt</em> bloggers report on the growing trend of lawn painting.

August 23, 2012, 9am PDT | jerinbrent

It's bound to make some landscape architects cringe, but business is booming for lawn painting companies. Considerably cheaper than the more sustainable practice of xeriscaping, lawn painting can freshen a front yard for under $200. Commonly used in desert climates such as Phoenix, lawn painting has started spreading across the country as water restrictions have tightened.

Terri LoPrimo of Staten Island, NY, chose to have her lawn sprayed with an organic dye that she says left her lawn looking "like a spring lawn, the way it looks after a rain. It's really gorgeous." Staten Island based entrepreneurs, Grass Is Greener Lawn Painting, say their dyes are "non-toxic, environmentally friendly turf dye that [...] is commonly used on golf courses and athletic fields to give them a lusher appearance."

The Dirt author is not convinced, however, and points out that "there really isn't such a thing as an environmentally-friendly dye given the huge amount of water that actually goes into producing dyes." Instead, they encourage readers to educate themselves about the long-term financial benefits of native landscaping and xeriscaping.

Thanks to Jessica Brent

Full Story:

With Drought, Lawn Painting Spreads

Published on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 in THE DIRT