"This guy was a bit of a nut"

"Ok full disclosure, I knew of Colin and I have to be honest, initially I thought this guy was a bit of a nut. Not in a bad way. Let me explain. Back in 2019 we were new to the neighborhood and moved in about eight houses away, basically at the opposite end of the same street and so I’d drive by his house every day. So here’s the “nut” part. I noticed that the guy mowed his lawn a lot. I mean A LOT.  It seemed like every time I’d pass his house he’d be mowing his lawn. If you were to ask me how often I thought he mowed his lawn I’d say about at least five times per week. (turns out it was ONLY three times per week lol) 

 

Then I learned from another neighbor that he had a bit of a reputation in the neighborhood.  He was “the guy with the carpet lawn”.  So one day I stopped by (on one of the many times he was mowing of course) and asked what his secret was. He looked me dead in the eye and said “I use the 1,2,3 formula. I water once per week, fertilize twice per year and mow three times per week.” 

 

Thinking that was a bold faced lie and he must be using some fancy pH balancing, pre emergent weed control, hydronics, aeration, dethatching, overseeding, fungicide and herbicide applications etc, I was understandably dubious. I was like “Huh? That’s it?!” He was like “Yup, that’s it”. So … I drove away thinking this guy is so full of it cause based on the time, effort, money and frustration that I’ve spent on my own lawns over the years (with a fraction of the results he gets) it’s NO way that was his deal. The guy’s lawn was cut really low yet it was even and dense with not a weed in sight. Yes, it looked like a carpet. 

About two years later (summer of 2021) all of sudden (it seemed like overnight) in addition to his lawn being even and dense, it was now a perfectly even color to the point where I thought that he’d ripped up his lawn and replaced it with artificial turf!  So of course I gave him a call.  (we’re friends by that time. 😄)  So this time he let me in on the secret of the perfectly evenly colored GREEN lawn. He was spraying a “colorant” onto his lawn. (whatever the heck that meant!) Explained that he had started a lawn care business and then proceeded to offer to do my front lawn for free. Needless to say from that day on I’ve used his services. (but now I pay!) So now I have the second best looking lawn in the neighbourhood. (I refuse to mow any lawn three times per week. lol)"  Herbie Barrenstein. Scarborough.