Our landscaping company, Yellowstone, works the following schedule:
Growing season – March through October: Property will be treated on a three-week cycle.
Week 1 Both sides of Seven Bar
Week 2 Both sides of Sierrita
Week 3 Westside Blvd and all the trails
Non-growing season – November through February: Property will be treated on a five-week cycle.
Week 1 West side of Seven Bar
Week 2 East side of Seven Bar
Week 3 West side of Sierrita
Week 4 East Side of Sierrita
Week 5 Westside Blvd
The cobbles, stone, and stabilized crusher fines on the re-constructed walking trails worked as designed during the one-half inch plus rainstorm that occurred on July 17th. There was no major damage to the walkways. The five small areas that sustained some washing away of the surface crusher fines were quickly repaired by the Yellowstone crew when they arrived on-site the following Monday.
The Sierrita “Add Color” test project, announced in the spring newsletter, placed perennial flowers, dwarf bushes and smaller trees in the available Sierrita planting spaces from the intersection with Seven Bar to the second light pole as you proceed north on Sierrita. Seven planting sites, two on the west side and five on the east side, were used. Vegetation planted included:
| 1 small tree | 2″ caliper Chinese Pistache – bright red fall foliage | |
| 8 dwarf butterfly bushes | 2 gallon sized | |
| 3 Buzz Raspberry | Reddish purple flowers | |
| 5 Buzz Midnight | Dark purple flowers | |
| 19 perennial flowers | 1 and 2 gallon sized plants | |
| 5 Plumbago ground cover | Blue | |
| 4 Lyrical Blue Salvia | Blue | |
| 4 Burgundy Gaillardia | Red | |
| 4 Moonshine Yarrow | Yellow | |
| 2 Firepower Nandina | Red foliage |
All the plants are doing well and the added color has enhanced this section of Sierrita. As the plants mature and get larger in size, we can expect even more spectacular color throughout the summer and fall.
The Board has approved several additional landscape projects to include: new/replacement trees, removing and replacing dead/dying bushes, and replacing several plants that were planted by Yellowstone in previous years but have died and will be replaced at no cost to the HOA by Yellowstone under their warranty program. These projects will be completed sometime this fall. Yellowstone, like restaurants and retailers, has been finding it difficult to hire seasonal laborers to augment their regular crews who implement our projects.
The new north side lanes on Westside should be completed and opened in late September or October. Once these lanes are open, the existing lanes on the south side will be closed and reconstructed with a sidewalk along our existing wall. All the trees and shrubs on the south side will be removed along with the irrigation system. The city does not plan to replace any of the trees and shrubs along our common wall, but will plant some vegetation in the center median. The city has stated that the HOA will be consulted on what will be planted. When the vegetation, particularly the ivy, is removed and the entire wall is exposed, the paint behind the existing vegetation will not match the more recently painted sections of wall. To create a uniform look, the entire wall will need to be painted.
The original irrigation system was installed over 25-years ago. The irrigation lines (3/4” poly) were replaced over a 3-year period (2010 – 2012). However, the valves and controls are original and several will have to be replaced this year to ensure the system functions. The Board is also evaluating putting flow meters on the irrigation lines to monitor water use.