Lime Wash (Asvesti)

I'm often asked why are Greek trees painted with white paint,

It's lime wash and the villages are being tidied up for this special weekend.

I caught this chap painting the church yard walls this morning, he'd already done the trees above.

Lime wash is used to freshen everything up , it's also an insecticide, it's cheaper than paint.
You buy it in powder form, ready mixed or still in large pieces which you soak in water.
A man comes around the village in a van and informs everyone through a loudspeaker that he has asvesti for sale.

The villagers generally take charge of their part of the village, weeding and tidying outside their homes and then slapping some of the milky substance around.

Our house is painted with it too....
it lets old houses breath and I believe is getting more popular elsewhere.
You can add a stain if you prefer. Each layer hardens into a solid waterproof covering
and it's much kinder to the environment.