The very picture of suburban America — a comfortable-looking small home, complete with picket fencing and a verdant thatch of manicured lawn:

But things aren’t quite what they seem. Here’s the same house, shortly before its lawn was treated and the photographer figured out how to hold his camera straight:

The lawn in the top image has been painted — as in sprayed with landscaping paint. It’s a lazy gardener’s dream: a zero-effort plush lawn that looks great from the street, but doesn’t suck down time and resources.

Of course, it’s more than just a question of convenience these days. With record droughts spreading out across the United States, Australia, and elsewhere, it’s getting hard to justify the 750 to 1,500 gallons a month of drinkable water required to keep the average lawn healthy.

Lawn painting is a job for a pro, and there are companies popping up which will be happy to green your world. The images above are from Always Green Grass Painting Company, which has franchises across the country. The process is environmentally friendly and lasts about 90 days, depending on how much rain and foot traffic you get.

Short of xeriscaping — outfitting your yard with rock gardens and native plants that don’t require cultivation — lawn painting is probably the best bet for areas under watering restrictions. It’s also sure to cheese your brown-lawned neighbors, which makes it all worthwhile.

Link: Always Green Grass Painting Company