A groundskeeper in the high-rise community in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, with a large canister over his shoulders connected to a sprayer that is usually used to spread insecticide. He's seen systematically painting dormant winter grass inside the complex green. Screenshot from Sina Weibo

An attempt by managers of a housing complex to vanquish the winter blues by spray painting the landscape's dead grass green, has left some thinking there may be an ulterior motive involved. 

A video seemingly taken by a resident shows a groundskeeper in the high-rise community in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, with a large canister over his shoulders connected to a sprayer that is usually used to spread insecticide. He's seen systematically painting dormant winter grass inside the complex green.  

The video posted by the Hubei Daily on social media raises two concerns. 

It insinuates the developer is trying to give potential buyers a false impression of the complex's landscape, suggesting that some new homebuyers might be unaware that lawns turn yellow when they are dormant during the winter.  

Of likely greater concern is a worry that the dormant grass near a children's playground is being sprayed with a paint that might contain toxic or dangerous substances.    

Although the video has been viewed 460,000 times, only two people have left comments as of press time. 

One recalled another incident in which a developer actually replaced the grass in a community's green space and painted paved areas green. The second comment noted that it wouldn't be very costly to re-sod the open space when grass begins to grow in the spring.  

Global Times