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10 | Four Seasons Hemet Herald | JULY 2022 | As the days are getting longer – and warmer, the Landscape Committee is turning its focus from planting and pruning to planning for the future. The heat of our Southern California summers is much like icy cold of Northeast winters: it's our time to take stock of what worked in the garden, and what could be improved. California is now in the midst of another drought. It might not seem that way, but our early winter storms provided not even the average of our annual rainy season precipitation. This means that water will become even more precious – and we all need to do our best to conserve it. The Landscape Committee has already overseen the transition to using reclaimed water in all areas that could be transitioned. While this helps a great deal, there is a need for even further conservation measures. As a further way to conserve water while maintaining the green, lush look of grass, the Committee will be testing the conversion of some turf grass areas to Lippia. Lippia is a native perennial that spreads over the ground with long linear stems to form a dense carpet. It can be watered using the same sprayers used for the grass it is replacing – saving the money of an expensive irrigation system replacement. It can also be mowed as low as one-inch. Unlike grass, Lippia only needs to be mowed once a month or less. It is a good visual replacement for grass that will lower future water and maintenance costs. The Committee is also in the process of expanding the plant palette to include more native and water-saving plant species. As resources permit, older plantings may be replaced with plants that are better suited to our Southern California climate. The goal is to keep the lush and lovely park-like atmosphere that we all enjoy, while being both kinder to the environment and using less water. These are goals we can all agree upon. We welcome Robert Linares to our Committee. As a new resident to the community, he brings a fresh set of eyes and questions about our history and current work being done. In May, we had 36 people come out to join in the Community Scavenger Hunt and boy did they have fun! Two teams won a Bistro gift card: Cathy Schwartzer's team consisting of Bev Ballew and Joan Greene; and Sue Corum's team consisting of Les, Rex, and Jason. Congratulations. Hopefully you were able to attend our Annual Tribute Concert starring Elvis on June 11. The Fourth of July Celebration is just a week away. This should be a great time to visit with friends and neighbors and celebrate our nation's birthday. Tickets are on sale now for an evening event on Aug. 4 Hollywood Revisited — a Music Revue. This should be a great evening with some Hollywood history, movie clips, and original costumes. Landscape Committee Social Committee Don't forget, Ohana, A Hawaiian Luau is scheduled to take place at the Four Seasons on Sat., Sept. 24. Get your Hawaiian wardrobe ready, perfect your Mai Tai recipe, and start practicing the Hula. Tickets go on sale Aug. 17.