Bridgewater Community Group: Landscaping

Showing posts with label Landscaping. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Xeriscaping - New Laws

Xeriscaping - New Laws effective September 1, 2013

"A property owners' association may not adopt a provision in a dedicatory instrument that prohibits or unreasonably restricts, or enforce a provision in a dedicatory instrument in a manner that prohibits or unreasonably restricts, a property owner from xeriscaping the owner's property."

S.B. No. 198

"A property owners' association may not include or enforce a provision in a dedicatory instrument that prohibits or restricts a property owner from:

using drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving turf."

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Chinese Tallow Trees

According to a foundation repair company,

"Chinese Tallow have extensive tap root systems that extract large amounts of water from the soil, which can cause major damage and require home foundation repair."

www.dawsonfoundationrepair.com/tree-roots-and-root-barricades/#top

Information on the Chinese Tallow tree provided by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=TRSE6

According to the USDA, the Chinese Tallow tree is listed in Texas as a "noxious plant"

http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxious?rptType=State&statefips=48

Texas Invasives .org

www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=TRSE6

Article from Houston Chronicle, "Do NOT Plant Chinese Tallows (it’s illegal)"

http://blog.chron.com/lazygardener/2011/12/dont-plant-chinese-tallows/

From Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triadica_sebifera

"Unfortunately, tallow trees are not native and are highly damaging species. According to the US Forest Service: Tallow trees begin producing viable seed after only 3 years. They can spread by root fragments and cuttings, so are quick to invade after a hurricane. Just one tallow tree can produce 100,000 seeds every year. Nearly all of these seeds are viable and can germinate even after several years. A mature stand can produce 4,500 kg of seeds per hectare per year. Trees remain productive for 100 years. Even one tallow tree presents a danger of explosive expansion that can hurt local ecosystems. Tallow trees should be removed from yards and public spaces as well. The trees are extremely hard to kill and freshly cut trees will sprout new leaves. Chemicals aside, the best way is to remove all new sprouts and starve the tree of sunlight."

US Forest Service provides extensive information

www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/triseb/all.html

Friday, February 1, 2013

The Importance of Trees

http://www.aces.edu/ucf/whytrees.php - "How Urban Trees Help Your Community" -

Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) - Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities

http://www.arborday.org/trees/benefits.cfm - "The Value of Trees to a Community ...

statistics on just how important trees are in a community setting

" - Arbor Day Foundation

http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/main/article.aspx?id=1279 - "Urban Forestry" - Texas A&M Forest Service

http://www.TreesAreGood.org/ - Trees are Good,

International Society of Arboriculture.

http://www.texastrees.org/ -

The Texas Trees Foundation

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/southerngarden/treestx.html - "Trees for Texas Landscapes" By Dr. William C. Welch, Professor and Landscape Horticulturist