Preparing Your Lawn for a Hot Summer

Getting and keeping it green!

Lawn Painting is all the Rage

Despite the nationwide heat wave, the grass really is greener in some neighborhoods in New York and New Jersey.

Homeowners with brown, dried-up lawns are turning to "lawn painting" to spruce up their yards.

Business is booming, according to Joe Perazzo, who launched his lawn painting company in New York's most suburban borough of Staten Island a few years ago, inspired by the tinting process used to color professional athletic fields. Other companies have sprung up in the region and elsewhere in the country.

"We've had a lot more calls and jobs in the past few weeks," said Perazzo, who added that this season's heat has been particularly hard on lawns due to a lack of rain.

For about 15 cents a square foot ($1.61 a square meter), or $150 for 1,000 square feet ($161.40 for 100 square meters), Perazzo will spray a plant-based, non-toxic turf dye on lawns or even dried-up shrubs and trees.

The biodegradable spray can last up until next spring's new growth if grass is truly desiccated, he said.

For lawns with a bit of life left in them, the paint will last for "two to three mows," he said.

Rich Pacailler of Howell, New Jersey, had his 1,500 square foot lawn sprayed this week.

"It gave me the green lawn I've been working for," he said. "I come home and see I've got the greenest lawn on the block."

He said it was very natural looking, "like new sod."  I guess we now know what "brown" can do for you.

Day 12: French Open Match of the Day - Li vs. Sharapova

Two big semi-finals in Paris on Thursday and the best of the two should be the Na Li / Maria Sharapova match.

Sharapova holds the career edge at 5-2, but Li has won the last tow meetings which were both on grass.

This isn't grass, but it's all the more reason I like Li in this one.  She's been good in Grand Slam events and I keep waiting for Sharapova's serve to go at some point.  I'd like to see Sharapova make this final, but I think it's going be Na Li.

Prediction:  Li in 3.  Hey that rhymes.