For those without the horticultural skills to blanket churches in fescue, wrap bridges in foliage, or etch mythic figures in rice paddies, there is grass painting. Here we see a professional grass painter at work. Technically, it's not paint but dye, explains Patrick Besanson of the turf-tinting firm YardGreen of Raleigh. "Paint" is just a handy marketing term.
The dye is a mixture of common yellow and blue food coloring and ammonia, which allows the dyes to penetrate the blade. Commonly used on golf courses, playing fields, and for-sale homes, the dye usually lasts for about three months, says Besanson, and can withstand the assaults of UV rays, rain and freezing snow. "We've had three snow occurrences this year and we never saw the snow turning green."