Landscaping Tips for the Commons at Cordata
A Little Advice Goes a Long Way!
One of the most important aspects of creating a neighborhood that looks attractive and creates continuity throughout is landscaping that is properly chosen and properly planted. You'll find some helpful information on this page, and community landscape guidelines available in the document library.
The Keys To A Low Maintenance Yard
Some of us love working in our yards. Others of us want our yard to look nice but don’t want to
spend a lot of time keeping it that way. Here are some tips for creating a lawn that looks pretty
but won’t require much to maintain it.
- Cover the ground with a permeable weed barrier cloth before planting or adding rock or mulch. This will allow water to go through the barrier but will deter weeds. A good layer of mulch will hold in moisture and will also deter weeds.
- Use native or drought resistant plants such as lavender, rosemary, juniper, sedum, yucca, and native grasses. These plants will need more water the first year or two but should require less water in subsequent years. (This doesn’t mean they never need water.) Sites that list Pacific NW native plants:
* Washington Native Plant Society https://www.wnps.org/native-plant-directory
* PNW plant database from Washington State University http://pnwplants.wsu.edu/
- Add large accent rocks for added interest.
- Consider using soaker hoses for areas that require regular watering in the summer.
- Our clay soil is very hard to dig. You may want to use some pots of flowers and small shrubs to add accent color and interest to your lawn.
If you decide to dig, be sure to call 800-424-5555 first to find out where the underground utilities lie in your yard.
About Those Blackberries - And The Replanting Afterwards
Permit Approval
The association has permit approval to remove Himalayan blackberries, and other select noxious invasive species, from wetlands buffers (the area beyond the split rail fence) in order to prevent them from out-competing native plants and from growing into the residents’ yards.
All work needs to comply with the conditions of the permit, and all work is to be done with hand tools, herbicide is not permitted. Afterwards, you must arrange to have all material hauled offsite. The final step is to replant the area. There are helpful guidelines, along with many attractive options available. Detailed directions on how to do the job right are available by clicking below.
Pesky Cottonwood Trees
There are several tall Cottonwood trees in the wetland area. In the spring you will see white fluffy stuff from these trees flying all over the neighborhood. That fluff contains millions of tiny seeds that will spring up anywhere they can find. It becomes a battle to keep them from taking over your yard. Thick layers of mulch in the flower beds will help, but those little buggers will grow in almost anything.
Unless you want some VERY TALL trees in your yard, you will need to pull them up throughout the summer as they begin to grow. Rake up as much of the cotton fluff as you can. Then stir up the soil as the seeds begin to grow to uproot the tiny plants. Pull any strays that you see throughout the summer.
Persistence pays off!
