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10 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JULY 2021 By Cathleen Allen With spring coming to a close and summer upon us, we find ourselves looking around and appreciating our surroundings. I know I sure am. Now that we are out and about more, it's a real pleasure enjoying our beautiful Four Seasons landscape. This is no small thanks to Park West, who has taken over our entire community landscaping since December 2020. The goal was to provide consistency within our community with one landscape company. And it seems to be working! Particular thanks go to Hector Mendez and his crew of landscape specialists. Hector is our Four Seasons Account Manager and supervisor to all the hardworking crew members here, working closely with our Landscape Committee chaired by Nanette Scott. The Landscape Committee dedicates immeasurable time in keeping greens, trees, and color scenery up to high standards. The committee members and Hector's team at Park West are quite a partnership in that they take a lot of pride in their jobs. Hector began in his field "pushing mowers" about 30 years ago and just kept on going. He oversees everything landscape- related here, including implementation, resident inquiries, complaints, resolutions, and working with the HOA to achieve the beautiful grounds that surround us. We live in a unique microclimate which causes various problems for our plants and vegetation. These conditions are extreme heat, cold, and, of course, our never-ending winds, not to mention the compact soil issues we have. It takes a wealth of knowledge to address these environmental problems and maintain and protect our beautiful landscape. When the Landscape Committee has a request for replacing or renewing the plants, shrubs, or trees in our common areas, they ask for a proposal from Park West. Hector steps in as the artist, providing visual renderings and estimates to our board for approval and implementation of any given project. The same goes for Phases A and B (the front yard cost center of 500 plus homes) as well as the Springdale condos. These areas provide challenges that our other residential landscaped yards do not. There are different guidelines for residents in these areas to adhere to, which is strictly maintained by Park West. Often times it is difficult for residents to understand that there is a process to following these guidelines. Residents may submit a request for customizing any plantings with the board via FirstService Management. On April 20, our HOA provided a very informative YouTube presentation with the experts at Park West. The presentation can be found in the Activities Blast under "The Watering Can" or on the Activities Corner. They introduced many varieties of plants indigenous to our particular climate as well as maintenance, preventative care, and watering guides. I highly recommend viewing this video. I found it very helpful, since after four years, I still find my rather large yard to be a real challenge. Knowing what to plant, when to plant it, and how to care for it is invaluable information. I'd also like to note that the plant palette(s) should now be available for viewing at the RCN building (if we did indeed — fingers crossed — reopen a few weeks ago). Plant palettes show a selection of recommended plants allowed in the community, carefully chosen for our particular location. Hector also shared some helpful points that are good to know: • Too much water can be as damaging as too little water, so irrigation should be monitored. • Palms are not recommended for our yards. They are messy and regular trimming is imperative. • Roses are hearty, but need lots of water. • Red Oak trees are new to Four Seasons and are being introduced in our common areas. Hector noted that the easiest and best part of his job is to see the fruits of the labor he and his crews work so hard to achieve. He has a high regard for these landscape specialists who work relentlessly to maintain our beautiful grounds here in Four Seasons. In all, I believe that our landscaping needs and wants are being met with lots of TLC, thanks to Park West and our Landscape Committee. Hector and his team are pros in resolving resident issues and requests, so please be patient. The Landscape Committee dedicates immeasurable time in keeping our greens, trees, and color scenery up to high standards. I encourage you all in passing, to give a thumbs up to our hardworking team members who make living here a visual pleasure. SHAPING OUR COMMUNITY — ONE TREE AT A TIME Hector Mendez and Nanette Scott