Landscape Committee Back at Work!!

The landscape committee has kicked off our Spring landscape improvements! Today they began by planting around more of the utility boxes in our common spaces:

This area is planted around the utility boxes
back in the NE green...

...and this is another view.

This box is also in the NE green, along the street.
(The scraggly plants, which were pruned back for the
winter and for transplanting, will fill in fully with time.)

This is what these areas looked like BEFORE the plantings.
(Lots of ugly utility boxes, which have now been beautified!)

This box -- which is back in the NW green -- was planted last Fall...

...as was this area also, visible along Hancock Ave.

Additionally, some flowering carpet roses were planted
at the end of the cul-de-sac (on Hancock) last Wednesday.

Thanks to all of the homeowners who participated in this fun planting party! As with all plantings so far, no HOA funds were used. All plants were donated (or purchased with money specifically donated for this effort). We are all GRATEFUL for these willing, generous donations.

If you would like to donate plants (or money for plants) for plantings around your home, please contact Sue Swanson at (425) 441-8162. With donations, additional plantings can easily be arranged.

Thanks also to everyone who enjoyed participating in Sunday's Window Box workshop, and thanks to Sue Swanson & the Landscape Committee for putting this on!

A message from your Landscaping Committee

Looks as if Spring is just around the corner! The daffodils we planted last fall around the trees on the street are starting to peek through the ground. (We planted 5 per tree and they won't bloom for a month or so, but you can see what they will look like in a couple of years at the top of Hancock Ave. Hopefully, the ones we planted last fall will do the same as the years go by.)

Our new landscaping company, Altera Landscaping, will start work in March. After meeting their owner, Rick, we're confident they'll do great work. We're looking forward to working with Altera.

Now is a great time to pick up some colorful primroses to brighten up your doorway. (You can buy 10 of them in a pack at Costco for $7.99.) You don't need to do anything except maybe put a saucer under them and water them once in a while. But they'll give you lots of pleasure and remind you that Spring is coming. If you want to, you can buy a larger pot, some potting soil, and replant the primroses in it. Later in the season, you can replace the primroses with something else in your pot. It gives you something nice to come home to.

If you have ferns outside your house, you can help them look better by cutting off the old, brown fronds with a pair of scissors. The new fiddleheads will come out of the center of the plant. In just 5 minutes you can keep your ferns looking great this year!

The Landscape Committee will start work in a month or so to continue adding shrubs around the utility boxes. We're looking for free shrubs to do the job. And we'll be raising money for plants at the Snoqualmie Ridge garage sale in May, so save your stuff if you'd like to help us out with donations.

Lowes has their new shrubs out, so if you want to change what is in front of your house look for something new and then give me a call. All changes in landscaping require Board approval, but it's easy and I'll be glad to help you out. We have a list of approved plants you can choose from that is very large and if you choose something from the list it's virtually a done deal.

Please give me a call anytime if you have any questions: (425) 441-8162. And...dont' step on the daffodils as you get out of your car on the east side of Hancock. :)

Sue Swanson, Chair

Mt. Si Cottages Landscape Committee

More Landscaping Progress!

The beautification of our community will continue this Saturday (Nov. 28)!

Volunteers are going to put in additional plants around some of the utility boxes, as part of the approved landscaping plan. Check out this truckload of donated (yes, free!) boxwood bushes! They're awesome! Thanks to Sue Swanson, Caddy Swanson & Wendy Pynn for digging 'em out & transporting them here. The Landscape Committee plans to plant these around 3 utility boxes on Saturday.

If you can help, just gather on Hancock at 9:15 am on Saturday (in front of the utility boxes planted last month), and we'll git 'r done! Everyone is invited!

As before, no HOA funds will be used for this new landscaping.

The Landscaping Plan was presented by the Landscape Committee and approved at the November Board meeting. The approved plan includes a master landscaping plan, identified priorities, an approved plants list, and a funding plan (which does not require HOA funds). To learn more -- or to learn how plantings like these can be added near your home -- please contact Sue Swanson (Committee chair) or Jason Pynn (Board member).

Great New Landscaping!

HUGE thanks to the landscaping committee for the great, new landscaping on Hancock! (It disguises the utility boxes on the west side of Hancock Ave, half-way down the hill.)
Ten wonderful homeowners volunteered a portion of their Saturday morning on Oct. 24 to plant this beautiful landscaped bed.
No HOA funds were used, and all costs were covered by funds raised during the Spring Garage Sale. If you want to learn how similar plantings can be added near your home, please contact Sue Swanson (Landscape Committee Chair) or Jason Pynn (HOA Board Member).

This is the first of several projects likely to come, and the committee's first landscaping priority is planting around all of the unsightly utility boxes.

23 Trees!

Update: Planting will begin on November 16th.

Quadrant Homes is replacing 23 dead (or dying) trees throughout our community (at no charge to the HOA), thanks to the big effort of two homeowners!

Thanks to Doris Shelton for educating the Association about the bond that qualifies us for these replacement trees. And thanks to Sue Swanson for working hard with the City of Snoqualmie & Quadrant Homes to makes sure these trees get replaced. Great work Doris & Sue!

A Message From Your Landscape Committee

My thanks to everyone who helped with the garage sale. We netted $230, which was really great seeing we only gave people 4 days notice!

Our goal is to find ways to lower the landscaping costs the HOA is paying (so we can put more of that money into the Reserve) while at the same time enhancing the plantings around the cottages. We'll be doing that by finding free plants, doing the extra planting ourselves and possibly some of the maintaining of the beds. This will be Mt. Si Cottages-wide project that you will be able to join if you are interested.

I'd like to thank the four members of the Board who helped with the garage sale by donating and/or manning the tables--Dawn Davis, Lynette Erb, Megan Roberts (who is expecting any day!) and Jason Pynn's wife Wendy. Bill Erb donated his truck and time to get the leftovers to the Goodwill truck.

Also, thanks to the members of the Landscape Committee who made it all happen: Cara Axe (let us use her super location), Julie Hopkins, Wenda Miller, Ron Sajjad, Doris Shelton and Paige Weed. Thanks also to Viera Baran, Shauntel Hart and Dana Guinn who offered items for the sale.

This was a great community effort--it was fun to get to know each other and you'll be able to see the results in the new plantings around the utility boxes (pending approval).

We'll do this again with the spring ROA garage sale and give you more warning.

Please let me know if you want to help with the Landscape Committee--25% of our homeowners took part in the garage sale! Way to go!

Sincerely,
Sue Swanson, Committee Chair

Landscaping ideas (and helpers!) needed

A Landscaping Committee was officially formed at the August 17 Board meeting. This new committee has an important role in maintaining & improving the landscape of our community -- helping to maximize our home values!

Anyone is welcome! Share your ideas, ideas, ideas! Sue Swanson is the committee lead, Jason Pynn is the Board representative and six others have already volunteered to serve. Volunteers will be needed to help plan, make recommendations to the Board, plant, and maintain any newly planted areas.

To join the fun -- and participate in planning meetings or planting parties -- contact Sue Swanson at 425-441-8162.

Early ideas include:

Landscaping around unsightly utility boxes.

Planting between homes to beautify & "screen" barked areas.

Enhancing the sparse landscaping in beds in front of homes.

Adding flowers (bulbs) beneath the trees along Hancock.

Replacing the dead/missing plants & trees that are no longer under warranty by Quadrant Homes.