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| THE COLONY NEWS | JANUARY 2025 | 9 Trees: As a transplant from Washington State, I am continually amazed that we have Fall tree color in late November or early December as opposed to September. And then we have the ornamental pear trees here blooming in January (as opposed to May). If you haven't seen these blooming in the Clubhouse parking lot or along Via Siena, please make it a point to do so this month. Deciduous trees lose their leaves and create a mess, it's true. The mow team mows them up, as much as they can, from front lawns and greenbelts every other week. Extra "leaf blows" along the cement walking paths were added recently. The LAC does an annual tree walk of front yards with our landscape company's arborist, when we make notes as to which trees are not thriving, putting them on a list to "remove" or a list to "watch" for a year or two. Tree removals are grouped so that they can happen all at once. When The Colony was built out, the developers often put in trees which would grow rapidly and look established. But many of those trees have now reached the end of their life span and are looking poorly. For the past several years, we have been removing the bright red Liquidambar trees (Liquidambar styracif lua), and this past year we found the photinia (Photinia x fraseri) were not doing well. They are being removed in phases. Replacement tree planting is also grouped, so if you have had a front yard tree removed, please be patient in waiting for your new tree's time to be planted. Homeowners are often asked what front yard tree they would like to have as a replacement. The Landscape Advisory Committee has composed a list of approved trees, complete with photos and dimensions at maturity. This list, as well as those of approved shrubs and plants for front yards and greenbelts, is available to anyone from the Landscape Department office. Rebate update: You may notice the turf in G5 (on Colony Drive where there's a bench and cement sidewalk) looks dead, and it is, because that's the first step after getting approval to proceed with turf reduction from So Cal Water Smart. After the dead turf is removed, we will be replanting with a few shrubs and a non- thirsty plant, Kurapia, which looks like turf from a distance. We experimented with it at the Nutmeg Gate bench area. The next turf area that has been submitted for rebate is in G9, and we are awaiting response to our submittal at this writing. Mulch: No, you can't buy this for your front yard from a big box store or a nursery. Why? Because what we use has been tested for heavy metals, which is required for storm-water pollution prevention plans. The mulch is composed entirely of ground-up hardwood almond trees from central California, called Stonewood Mulch. Mulch Master (the supplier) pulls out the trees, waits for the leaves to fall off, then grinds the wood. Why almond? Almond wood looks consistent as it comes out of the grinder and is cleaner, and there's a huge supply of it. The fuzzy end pieces of the wood shred don't blow off in the wind, and it lasts significantly longer than greenwaste mulch, taking longer to decompose. The price of the mulch hasn't changed much over the years ($13/ yd.), but the freight cost is the problem. Before COVID, we paid $650/load. Since 2020, the price is $1,200/load. Therefore, our mulch budget doesn't buy as much as it did. We have researched other sources closer to home, but no companies have large enough trucks to be less costly than our current supplier. Golf Course property: If your property backs up to the golf course or its "fingers," please note that The Colony Landscape Department is not responsible for anything on those pieces of property. We don't own them, so we don't maintain them. You will need to contact the golf course clubhouse if you have weed, pest, or landscape issues from their land. Are you not sure if your property is next to a finger? The Colony Landscape Department can print you a map showing each golf course finger within the community. LANDSCAPE ADVISORY By Jan Foster, Chair, 951-698-0170 Beginning next month, we will highlight one exterior item of a home and describe its location for you. Many of us have no idea what a weep screed, gasket, popout, etc., is or where it is located on our home. We will illustrate the areas of the exterior of a home so the painting applications will be easier to understand. In January, we will receive the new paint chip cards needed to put together our new paint books and until those books are completed, there will be a board, located in HOA office, of the new color combinations for you to look over to make your selections. A very Happy New Year to all of you. We are so blessed to live in such a giving, caring, and beautiful community. ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL By Gloria Brosky

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