I happened to noticed
this article on the Weather Channel.com the other day that says turf painting is really catching on these days due to the drought. For around $200, you too can have your green dream turf. A few ranting/incredulous thoughts...
- This paint is not even the right color - it has too much blue-green for the summer months. (Note the color of real turf in the cracks just behind this painters feet.)
- I am a bit shocked to think of coating our natural world in paint to make it more what we think we deserve.
- Forget the "right plant for the right spot," lets talk about the "right paint for the right spot!"
- Would my shoes and my kids be covered with paint after attempting to play on this stuff?
- How many bees and other insects will visit this painted lawn this week?
- How do the worms feel about this?
- If I lived in Texas or California, would I feel differently about turf painting?
Of course, Julie, this lawn isn't Eco-friendly! The paint is dangerous for insects, bees, worms, etc. But some people like "green" lawn.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, the article claims that it is both "organic" and "eco-friendly"! There is not much they could say to convince me of those statements I am afraid. Oh my.
Delete~Julie
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteIt could be worse and I'll show you in my next post. I'm going to show the world our first syn-lawn that has been installed in our neighborhood. It is completely 'perfect' green and made to look natural. It is made like astroturf and not a single part is living or breathing like nature intended. I'd almost be happier if they just filled in the whole yard with cobbles and rocks!
As bad as this ridiculous paint scheme is, at least it's not considered permanent. Their syn-lawn costs $10 a square foot and for the 3,000 sq ft front yard they laid down $30,000!And it's only guaranteed for 8 years! Then what, they throw it away in a landfill? Ugh.
Nobody spray painted their Texas lawn last summer so this is a new one for me. I think we just all decided brown was the theme and prayed for rain.
It will soon rain again and then the paint people will have a mess on their hands! 'All is vanity' as the writer says in Ecclesiates.
David/:0)
Pretty crazy... what they will come up with.
Delete~Julie
I think I would almost prefer astro turf to painting the real thing, but seriously - What is happening in the world? Christina
DeleteREALLY! We have hit a new low when we feel the need to paint a living thing...will the grass even survive this painting to grow when it finally rains...I have to rip up more of mine and add more plants in protest...ugh!
ReplyDeleteCould hardly believe my eyes when I saw your post, this is so ridiculous and so dreadful for the grass and wildlife. Sorry, but some people have more money than sense!
ReplyDeleteHmp...I don't think you'd feel differently living in Texas. Just sitting here in Texas, shaking my head. Just absolutely unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it Cat. I suppose some people get truly desperate for green, but I wish that they had hired a garden designer instead!
Delete~Julie
It just seems so silly. It reminds me of plastic flowers--ick.
ReplyDelete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am speechless! Christina
ReplyDeleteThis makes me appreciate my transition to a moss lawn even more. The moss sections of my yard are green this summer, and the grass sections are shriveled up and brown. There are sooooo many cheaper and better options than paint!
ReplyDeleteI went to the link to try to figure this out. It states it's very common in the South. Well, it's very common here for commercial (or highway) "grass" to be painted green when it's still mostly dirt. Inside the "paint" is grass seed mixed with fertilizer. As the paint fades, the grass grows. But, I've not seen grass painted with latex paint, as far as I know. However, I have always wondered how golf courses could always keep their grass so green - I assumed it was with water!
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of an incident that occurred when I worked for my older brother when he was home from school and running a landscaping business for the summer. A client had a dead dogwood tree in his front yard. My brother offered to take it down. The client said, "Why would I want to do that?" "Well," my brother said, "... it's dead." "Yes," answered the client, "but during the winter, who can tell?" Perhaps some entrepreneur will come up with a business attaching artificial leaves to dead trees. Little maintenance required and much faster than planting a new tree and waiting for it to grow.
ReplyDelete