Spraying yards green make... But not with color, water

Now, though, the grass green next door simply from a fresh coast of color be.

Homeowners associations in this arid region have typically rules require residents keep, desert landscaping or green grass, with brown grass not an option.

This is the time of the year, with approaching of summer and winter grass extinction, if letters typically go to homeowner reminds her of the rules and making it clear that violate fines could face or even legal action should take their lawn on an unsatisfactory tint.

The pressure, grass green led to keep some residents to money save links, try the grass is the most innovative green color.

The grass spraying drew business here escalated as the housing crisis and real estate brokers were looking to increase appeal of abandoned properties the curb quickly on the cheap. A lawn painting, with a plant-based dye, costs about $ 200. strong home owners associations, which can fine owners thousands of dollars when a dispute drags on, also Klaus Lehmann of turf painters enterprise said good for business.

Doug McGraw, who dream of Summit subdivision in Western Phoenix lives, was cited for neglect of his lawn. How many homeowners here Mr. McGraw saw back his finances into turmoil by a couple of years and had to spend any extra money on the lawn. "I let go a year it just, and it was Brown," he said.

A citation letter came from the homeowners association.

When his wife, tongue in cheek, noticed that, if food could be coloured, why not lawn? Mr. ?McGraw began research into the issue and discovered that those who are athletic fields and golf courses in fact use lawn dye their grass green all year round to keep.

Unsure whether this would be approved by his Association, and something set to take the simple solution, he be lawn one night in the spring of 2009 colored without to tell a soul in the neighborhood.

Until end of 2009, when the grass needed a Touchup, he held during the day and even the same do it for its neighbors, offered for a fee. Only one person took him to the offer, but no one against his quick-fix either.

Michael Hague, a neighbor, has another solution, artificial turf, which was a compromise choice in some areas of Arizona for a while now. He says it helps him save the time, money and confrontations with the homeowners association.

"It is easier to fake grass, have", said Mr Hague, about his deep green, look perfectly trimmed yard. "You don't have to worry about." "It won't fade."

So realistic its is turf proud, he said that a neighbor on the street even mention how green lawn was unaware of the Hague, someone was there in a factory.

But "plastic grass," as Ed Cunningham, a fire-fighter, in which close to lives, calls the artificial stuff, Arizona Sun is too hot on bare feet in the. He is a landscape gardener, the painstaking process of planting rights Bermuda grass, handle the finally is inactive in the winter and is supplemented with rye grass, which dies out in the spring. The lawn irrigated means his water bill the appearance is higher than some of its neighbors, but and behavior of the real thing is worth the effort, he said.

But don't get followers of Xeriscaped yards, desert landscaping is known about the harmful effects of all, the grass planted around the desert, wasted complicates water, a precious and scarce commodity here started.

One of the ways, water reached, the Phoenix is the central Arizona project, bringing it from the Colorado River through the system of water pipes, tunnels, pumping stations and pipelines, from which. Candidates for the Board of Directors of the project are ausgefragt on their personal use of water habits of the Arizona Republic election time.

Salvador Rodriguez contributed reporting.

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