Image Up Advertising & Design

| THE COLONY NEWS | AUGUST 2024 | 17 "Gardener" vs "Landscaper"? When I came to Murrieta I thought like a "gardener." Since joining the Landscape Advisory Committee, I've had to change to think like a "landscaper." What's the difference? First, there's a whole new vocabulary. "Mulch" to a landscaper means ground covering, e.g., stone, rubber, compost, shredded trees, bark, etc. To a gardener, it usually means compost or biodegradable material. Then there's what we plant where. "Drive by at 55" to a landscaper means "what you see as you drive by at that speed," i.e., larger groupings of the same plant, such as those you see along highways. In The Colony, nobody will be driving that fast past anything, so we don't use that phrase, but we do try to use larger groups of plants along Colony Drive and at the gates. In the walkways where folks would be inspecting closer, and to inspire and encourage such stopping — "moseying by," we like to use smaller groupings and more individual plants. A gardener is constantly inspecting, pruning, removing, replacing, rearranging. A landscaper dealing with 80 football fields, such as The Colony, must use a rotating schedule to deal with these things. Sometimes the "issue" must wait until that section's turn comes up. We learn patience. As a gardener, one usually knows the threats to our plot of ground, i.e., freeze zones, hot spots, shady areas, rabbits, gophers, no irrigation, etc. And sometimes it takes years for a gardener to figure out solutions to all these problems. A landscaper must deal with HUGE amounts of data on these items throughout The Colony. For instance, topography plays a big part in freezes. The Colony has many microclimates. We've learned that since cold "sinks," we should be planting frost-sensitive plants on top of the "hills." Yet even a degree or two different from last year's temperature could spell death to a plant this year. Rabbits attack newly planted plants, so we must put chicken- wire cages around them for a year or two. There are no plants that are rabbit-proof, gopher-proof, drought-proof, freeze-proof, are evergreen, and bloom year-round! Those plants would be silk or plastic (subject to fading). We have been incorporating more evergreens, some of which do have f lowers for part of the year, but the big bloomers (bougainvillea, lantana, Mexican bush sage) are not among them. Sometimes we've been asked why we don't use more California native plants. We have found that generally these are not available in the quantity required here. They are more expensive, because often they are very slow growers and are not harvested in the wild. And very few would be considered handsome plants or prolific bloomers, which Colonists prefer. Trying to hit a happy medium, we mostly adhered to Van Dyke Landscape Architects palette of Mediterranean plants to give a lush look, do well in this climate, and be drought tolerant. This year, however, we will be experimenting with some new plants in the same category. As a gardener, it's easier to spot a plant's need for more water and readily apply it. Similarly, but on a larger scale, a landscaper plans for water according to the needs of the plants in the area. At The Colony, we have an irrigation system of automated controllers. Our water districts provide a daily "number" that represents how much water we need to use to replenish the water our plants have lost due to evaporation or transpiration. This is called an evapotranspiration rate or ET. Simply put, the number represents inches of water that needs to be replaced, more in summer, less in winter. Assuming the computer system holds up, irrigating to a percentage of ET works well and delivers the proper amount of water to where it is needed when it is needed. Still, we have an aging bunch of pipes, valves, and nozzles which act up and need periodic replacement. If you see water spouting up from an irrigation nozzle during the weekends or holidays, call the Gate! There is an on-call irrigation specialist from our landscape company who will be notified to turn off the water. And during the week, residents should notify the HOA office (7 am-4 pm M-F) if they suspect a problem. One last comment about excessive water running down the drains: often this is coming from a resident's own irrigation system (back- and side-yards). In this case, know the Security guards are NOT responsible to turn off your irrigation system. LANDSCAPE ADVISORY By Jan Foster, Chair COMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY By Greg Hill Our committee very much appreciated the work of the volunteer camera operators and cart drivers for the recent Patriotic Pup Parade. Your efforts ensured that the joys of the event could be shared with our community. A heartfelt thank you to our camera operators: Marc Tuttobene, Carol Roesel, and Diane Frisbee, and to our cart drivers: Ken Luekens, Bill Koch, and Kimberly Evans. We also appreciate the support of Board President Bruce Dalfonso and all the Board members in approving at their meeting in June our request to obtain camera carts as well as one for more computer storage memory. Both decisions significantly help us in covering and preserving records and memories of Colony events.

• Cover