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| Four Seasons Hemet Herald | JUNE 2026 | 9 Now that the plan for turf conversion is underway, things may get a bit messy as we wait for the beautiful new landscape to be installed. While we wish bare dirt could quickly mature to healthy, lush plants, it's going to take time and patience. A good way to think about it is to consider the process. The first step is knowing the site and planning accordingly. In our case, we need to remove the identified non-functional turf and recondition the soil. Our highly alkaline water and clay soil are challenging for any plant so the ideal time to mitigate it is before installing new plants. The next step is plotting out plant selections and planning for irrigation. We need to make sure that the plants we choose are not only beautiful but will also thrive in our climate and in the amount of daily sunlight they'll receive. Proper irrigation is also key. As part of this project, we'll be installing new valves and water lines. In some areas, the emitters will be built into the tubing, creating better coverage for the plants as they grow. As a bonus, built-in emitters are significantly less likely to clog. Once the preparation is done, plants are installed and mulched. It's a lot of work, but the process is still not complete. The final element to success is time. An easy way to think about how long it takes is this: sleep, creep, and leap. For the first year, the plant appears to sleep – by not growing much, the second year growth creeps, and the third year (if all goes well) growth leaps! For the Landscape Committee, this project is a truly big challenge. It has taken hours of research, coordination, and planning to understand the new law, identify the places requiring a makeover, and to plan for how things will look and thrive down the road. This challenge also comes with a budget: stay within the rebate amount! Once the Turf Replacement project is complete, it will take all our Four Seasons residents to monitor the new plants and alert the front desk staff members at the first signs of a failure. Plants can fail for many different reasons: problems with the f low of water (which can be repaired), disease, and pesky bad luck with planting. If there isn't a simple fix, a replacement plant may be necessary. Fortunately, all of the new plants are guaranteed by Harvest, our Landscape contractor. Watching and caring for the plants as they grow, thrive, and fill the intended space is the longest and could take years before the project is truly complete. Novelist May Sarton has a fitting observance for us as we watch the new landscape unfold: "Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace." The Landscape Committee hopes that you will join us in this project with grace, patience, and vigilance as we create the right environment for the new plants to thrive and grow together harmoniously. Landscape Committee Library Committee You know the saying, "April showers bring May flowers." That has certainly been true in Four Seasons. Our community has experienced a number of warm months already this year, and there are flowers everywhere now in June. Flowers are included on many of the puzzles in our Four Seasons Library! Our puzzles collection in the Computer Room is thriving. If you haven't stopped in to check out the puzzles lately, please do so soon. We have received so many donations of puzzles in recent months that the Library Committee members have found it necessary to donate many circulating throughout 2025 to other locations to enjoy. Speaking of donations, please note that the library only accepts puzzles with all the pieces. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to work a puzzle with pieces missing. We encourage you to follow our example of taping completed puzzle boxes closed. Incomplete puzzles, when identified, are recycled. Please know that your puzzle donations to our library eventually keep people elsewhere happily working puzzles! Library Committee member, Irene Chapman, enjoys puzzles and is sharing some of her thoughts in this month's Herald, including a favorite puzzle manufacturer. She begins, "Our library is fortunate to have an extensive collection of puzzles. These brain teasers range from 300 to 1,000 pieces and feature countless pictures, landscapes, and designs of varying difficulty. While puzzles may have similar features, not all puzzles are the same. There are many puzzle manufacturers; one of the most renowned is Ravensburger, made in Germany since 1897. Ravensburger puzzles are regarded as having quality as they feature thick, durable cardboard, non-glare linen finished paper, and images that are well printed and clear. A patented piece cutting method called "Softclick Technology" is used for perfect piece fit. Pieces connect so precisely that you can hear a "soft click" when they lock together. Each puzzle piece is uniquely shaped, hand drawn so that even in a 1000-piece puzzle, no two pieces are alike. These features, plus the use of high-quality recycled materials, result in little of the "dust" we find in puzzle boxes. Next time you reach for a puzzle, try a Ravensburger!" Check out the picture of one of our Ravensburger puzzles. As for other library news, we are encouraging residents to donate more magazines. Please read them in the library and not take them home. Thank you! ~ Irene Chapman and Betty Crase

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