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As I write this article, it is the last week of April and I can't help but be excited about the way the roses look here, and the colorful petunias at the Clubhouse, with the Iceland poppies bobbing above them, all in time for Mother's Day. Just magnificent! This is truly a lovely time for flowers here! The LAC members completed their annual Area walks of all front yards, greenbelts and entry gates the end of April. We noted dead/dying/sick plants, plants outgrowing their space, etc. The Landscape Superintendent is compiling plant count totals and is sending this to Environmental Concepts (our landscapers) for quotes for any to be replaced. Then our Landscape Superintendent will submit their estimates to the HOA Board for approval, and after that will order the plants. Shortly thereafter, the plants will arrive and be planted. Please be patient, and please remember these area walks did not include wild areas and, obviously, no golf course property. Frequently asked questions about front yards: 1. Who owns the front yards with the trees and plants? Answer: You, the homeowner (lot owner), own them. The Landscape Department maintains them, but you own them. 2. If I own the trees and plants in my front yard, can I have what I want? Answer: When you bought your house, it came with trees and plants. If you would like to change them, you can pick from a large selection of approved trees and plants, have your old items removed, and the new ones planted. Of course, you will be paying for all this privately. Just fill out a Landscape Change Request form to get the cost and make the decision. 3. If I own the trees and plants in my front yard, can I prune them myself into shapes I like? Answer: Sorry, but that is not permitted. One reason for this is uniformity of Colony pruning rules covered in the contract with the landscapers. The landscape contractor is liable for damage to plants. 4. Can I plant flowers (annuals) in my front yard? No, plants may not be added by residents. Neither you nor your personal landscape contractor are permitted to do work in the front yards. The Colony Landscape Department is responsible for all work done in front yards. G53 Progress: The cement work (paths and curb removal) was scheduled for May 3 to start the grading, forming and installing rebar. The earliest the concrete could be delivered and poured was May 20. This will cure for a week. Then the benches, table and the pond-less solar fountain can go in. This is an urn-type fountain where the water overflows down the sides of it into the vault below. The vault will be covered by stones over a screen to avoid anyone or any animal from playing in the water or drinking it, and it reduces some evaporation. Still, if Rancho California Water District imposes drought restrictions calling for no fountains, this one would become waterless until such time as the restriction was lifted. We faced this before in 2017. Walking Paths: If you haven't already found these paths, this is the time to do so! There are several cement walkways within The Colony. I am not listing those which parallel Colony Drive or Avenida Florita because they can be seen entirely from the road. The other cement walkways to explore are G14 and 15 (behind Corte Lucia from Via Hacienda to Via Prima Vera); G16 and 17 (behind Via Siena from Via Helena to Via Hacienda); G9 (off Via Octavo to Via Graziana); and G11 (from Colony Drive down to where Via Tonada and Via Marisa meet). In addition, there are three decomposed granite walkways: G2 (from Colony Drive to Via Barletta behind Via Ambiente); one behind the Nutmeg Wall (from left of the Nutmeg gate entrance to behind Corte Fortuna, all the way down to Corte Andar); and a short one in G46 from Calle Galacia to Avenida Florita. I invite all curious residents to get out their Colony Community Street Map which shows the G areas (greenbelts) and explore. All the greenbelts are accessible one way or another through paseos (because the landscapers have to get in there to mow, prune, plant or whatever). Wild areas are not for general access since there are no paths and have steep slopes, v-ditches and roots, etc., which could cause injury. If you don't have a Colony map, they are available at the HOA office. LANDSCAPE ADVISORY By Jan Foster COMMITTEE NEWS | THE COLONY NEWS | JUNE 2022 | 11

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