Oh my! The condo mean girls are going all out in defying the HOA.
This year we had set aside $10,000 for barkdust for the complex. Our community is pretty large so a few months ago I asked how much mulch would be applied. Landscape Committee said about 1/2 inch. Good grief! That would blow away in about two weeks! I suggested that we keep the $10K and ask for another $10K so we could put down 3 inches.
Our landscape maintenance company blows the area and the last time we had mulch applied, it was completely gone in two months. I prefer that pine needles and leaves just be left alone as they decompose and add acid to our soil (which needs it!) and have the guys just blow or rake the sidewalks. Some others are offended by the tree droppings but want the areas raked (too time intensive for our budget) not blown.
So our wise and wonderful HOA Chair put out a survey asking yes on bark this year or no on bark this year. It was voted down, 2 to 1. Oh the hoopla that went on after that was announced. Landscape Chair wanted to do another survey. Others said we had the money so we should do it. Neighbors called neighbors and gave them a hard time for whichever way they voted and wanted the NO voters to call and change their votes.
We have had our annual election and our HOA Chair was re-elected and also re-elected as Chair. Which made some of the crabby old ladies angry (they wanted the bark). Last weekend ... five of them decided to apply their own barkdust in front of their buildings. One lady lives UPSTAIRS. All of them used that red bark dust rather than dark hemlock mulch, which is what was recommended by the landscaper. It's a blatant nose thumbing to the Board ... and the rest of our community. Each of these people has been on the Board and on the Landscape Committee so they all are well aware of our procedures.
IF you want to change the green space in front of your area, you first talk to all three neighbors to be sure everyone is on board with it. Then you take a sketch to the Landscape Committee who votes. IF/when it is approved, they present it to the Board to be sure it will blend with the community.
Ralph and I did that when we first moved in. All we had in front of our dinky cement patio was a half dead little maple tree.
Guess what is about to hit the fan! Some neighbors have talked to the Barkies who say "what can they do about it? Make us take it up?"
Oh yeh. I sure hope so.
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Condos sure have their problems with committees, don't they. I'm sure I'll survive them but....what a pain!
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, I agree with you on the depth of the bark. If you put down anything under 3 inches, it's a waste of money. The depth chokes the weeds off from the sun.
I have pine trees on one side of my house and under them my landscaper uses pine needles that are imported from your state! They are sold here by the bundle (like a small hay bale) and are considered to be classier than bark. I like it better than bark around the pines---looks more natural and lasts great. He puts down about 5 inches and over the summer it compacts to around 3 inches.
What??? You buy pine needles? I could have been a millionaire!! But I agree with 3-4 inches to do any good.
DeleteOh. My. Gosh! I have never heard of bark DUST and wouldn't want it, especially in red! I like dark brown bark mulch, it doesn't blow away, it covers well, keeps the weeds at bay and yes--I start with 4-5 inches deep. I like Jean's pine needles mulch--sounds more natural and I like natural. I have a solution to your problem, just have the landscape guys blow extra heavily in the Mean Girls bark dust areas!!!
ReplyDeleteI keep worrying about Iran Nuclear Deals and terrorists and earthquakes and tsunamis, I must now start worrying about another world problem: Bark Dust versus Bark Mulch. LOL
Definitely a First World problem!! And the fall out has begun....well, so and so has a tomato plant, and so and so has a wind chime and why are you picking on me.
DeleteBECAUSE we voted bark/mulch DOWN and without following any procedures ... and you, being on the Board and on the Landscape Committee know that