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It's time for Bay Area HOAs to bloom again. Color in landscapes not only lifts spirits, but improves property values. Adding xeriscapic flowering plants to the common areas of HOAs is also a good way to celebrate the end of California's four-year drought. Xeriscape is the art of selecting plantings that are adapted to the highs and lows of regional precipitation patterns. However, even if a plant is well-known for being drought resistant, it needs regular irrigation in its first months for deep read more...

DURHAM, N.H., February 9, 2017 – Potentially damaging, wood pests in downed trees are wood-inhabiting insects -- they survive in trees cut into logs after storms to live for much longer than thought. These likely tree-killing pests live for up to several years following a major weather disturbance, a recent U.S. Forest Service study concluded. In June 2011, a powerful EF3 tornado tore a 39-mile path through western Massachusetts, damaging or killing thousands of trees. After the storm, Forest read more...

From Irrigation and Green Industry News Serpico Landscaping recycles our plant material, grass clippings and tree bark, and today's latest news deals with a great eco-smart idea for recycled coffee for landscaping. Our teams of dedicated tree care experts and commercial landscaping professionals at Serpico Landscaping love all things repurposed wisely to save money for the HOA, retail, municipal, and corporate business park communities we serve. Using a recycled coffee bean byproduct for read more...

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, green infrastructure is a cost-effective, resilient approach to managing wet weather impacts and it provides many community benefits. Single-purpose gray stormwater infrastructure (that is, your average, conventional piped drainage and water treatment system waterflow mechanism) is designed to move urban stormwater away from built environments...however, green infrastructure reduces and treats stormwater at its source -- while delivering read more...

From the Royal Horticulture Society Few garden plants will survive water-logging or flooding. Prolonged periods of sitting in ground saturated with water causes yellow leaves, root rot and death. However, conditions can be improved using various techniques to promote drainage and prevent damage. Quick Facts Common name for this problem: Waterlogged or badly drained soil Plants affected: All except a few tolerant ones Main causes: Heavy rain combined with difficult soil read more...

From LoveYourLandscape.org The work done by your landscape professional will be a big part of your association's property life for years to come -- as it will influence the look and feel of outdoor living spaces -- and more importantly, how your community and stakeholders use and enjoy the results! Once you have selected the right firm for your project, there are a few things that can be done to ensure your work with a contractor is effective. Here are some of the things landscape read more...

The language of flowers are often used in paintings of landscapes by the masters, as reminders of the bounty of nature along with a statement about the awakening, or blossoming -- of love. Why Roses On Valentine's Day? In Western cultures, roses, jasmine and red tulips typically symbolize love...daisies represent youthful innocence and laurel represents victory. In mythology, flowers often appear as metaphors for virtue and vice. An example is the story of Narcissus, the vain youth who read more...

This weekend began Chinese New Year 2017, here’s all you need to know about the most-anticipated global event of the year in China. New Year's | The Biggest Holiday In China New Year, or the “Spring Festival” as it is known in China, is the longest and most important holiday in China. New Year 2017 in China began Saturday, January 28, 2017. The Chinese New Year’s festivities end two weeks later on the 15th day of the first month on what is known as the Lantern Festival. The Chinese believe read more...

From ECHO: Educational Community for Homeowners By Swedelson-Gottlieb, Legal counsel to CA HOAs What Is A Nuisance? Handling common HOA nuisances below are complaints which represent a major cause of legal action in HOAs, both by and against homeowners. For those who might be unfamiliar with what exactly a nuisance is, a nuisance typically consists of one or more of the following issues: An activity that unreasonably interferes with the use or quiet enjoyment of another resident of read more...