If you’re fed up looking at your brown lawn, you might consider having it painted green.
Chris Peereboom admits some of the calls he fields are shaded with skepticism since he launched Victoria Lawn Painting. “We didn’t know what to expect at first,” he noted. “There was a lot of curiosity … ‘Is it organic? What’s it going to do to my lawn?’ We’ve had calls from people who are shocked that it’s a real business.”
Although the company only launched in June, so far the people who have had their lawns painted appear to be impressed with the results. The company has already done work from Sidney to Sooke and Peereboom expects interest will grow through word of mouth.
“Everyone’s been very happy with the results,” he said. “All the feedback has been positive and people are surprised at how realistic it looks.”
Peereboom and partner Jeff Meyer, a realtor with Victoria Property Group, believe their solution to brown lawns is an environmentally-friendly approach that will save money and reduce water consumption significantly.
Victoria Lawn Painting utilizes a plant-based pigment purchased from a Lower Mainland company. The pigment is diluted with water and then sprayed on with a device equivalent to a garden sprinkler to produce a natural green colour. An application lasts two to three months on average, depending on the amount of rain.
The product, which is pet and child-friendly, dries within an hour and maintains its colour for up to six months in some cases. Once it’s been applied you simply treat your lawn as you did before, without the watering, Peereboom explained. As it grows and you have to cut it, the new growth is green as well.
A typical 500- to 800-square-foot lawn takes about an hour to 90 minutes to complete. The company charges 40 cents a square foot, which works out to about $250, on average.
“It’s a really good alternative to constantly watering,” Peereboom said. “It saves water and money, especially in an area like Victoria that’s known for its watering restrictions.”
As far as he’s been able to determine, Victoria Lawn Painting is the only company in the Capital Region offering the service.
It’s a huge industry in California, which has been dealing with strict watering conditions for years, he added.
“I think it’s the kind of business that will do really well in a super dry summer.”
For more information visit victorialawnpainting.com, call Peereboom at 250-858-0829 or email victorialawnpainting@gmail.com.
reporter@goldstreamgazette.com
GREATER VICTORIA MARKET UPDATE » MONTH TO DATE, AUG. 8/16 COURTESY VICTORIA REAL ESTATE BOARD
» 188/741 -- NET UNCONDITIONAL SALES / TOTAL, AUGUST 2015
» 265/952 -- NEW LISTINGS /TOTAL, AUGUST 2015
» 2,133/3,688 -- ACTIVE RESIDENTIAL LISTINGS / TOTAL, AUGUST 2015