The HOA Board Quarterly Spring 2014 Issue #9 | Page 8

SPRING CLEANING
By Steve Economou

A

foot tall spikes are accented by large, fuzzy soft-green
leaves that give off a pleasing minty fragrance. This
plant slowly spreads, using easy to cultivate rhizomes.
(Salvia spathacea)

Now is the time to set landscape goals for the upcoming
seasons. With a goal of saving water while intensifying
the natural beauty of your association comes a period
of planning. The first project is to look closely at water
usage and monitor your irrigation budget. In winter
we can generally expect cooler temperatures and
some rain. When we fall on the arid side, spring is
the time to make plans to compensate.

Cleveland Sage is another reliable performer. Where
the Hummingbird Sage is deep red, the Cleveland sage
is a twelve-inch tall stem with golf-ball sized clusters
of lavender-colored, delicately perfumed flowers
along the stalk. The gray foliage is also nicely aromatic
and soft to the touch. This beauty performs well in
dry, sunny gardens. Hummingbirds and butterflies are
drawn to native sages, as are some songbirds. (Salvia
clevelandii)

s you read this, we are entering the full glory
of our spring season. Community Associations
will start to see more activity - as homeowners
reestablish their warm weather routines: walking,
bicycling, etc.

If your community is already using water-wise
techniques, you would have drastically reduced
irrigation schedules, or even turned your entire system
off for several months, late last fall. And that means
now is a good time to reset your programs and test
your overall system. Are you using smart controllers
or more commonly referred to as “irrigation timers”?
If you are then that makes the task much easier.
Smart controllers automatically update the irrigation
schedule to adjust water needs through the year. A
smart controller will electronically reduce the watering
times as we enter our cool, rainy winters when most
of our rain is delivered (between November and
May). Less irrigation is needed. Then as the weather
begins to warm up and we enter our dry summer, the
controller will add more watering time. Creating water
budgets allow you to see how accurately your system
is performing and to get a handle on water bills.
The next step is to look for areas that could be
converted to colorful, low water using plantings. This
is where the San Diego Hybrid Palette is a beautiful
alternative.
The San Diego Hybrid Palette is a carefully created
variety of plants that will be beautiful year round
using 85% less water than conventional plant choices.
Consider getting started this spring. Our favorite
spring blooming plants are in the sage family. Two in
particular are stellar:
Tall, intense magenta flower spikes of the
Hummingbird Sage attract tons of hummers. The two8 | The HOA Board Quarterly | Issue #9 | Spring 2014

Here is a plant that is a cheerful bloomer: San Diego
Sunflower. This one is so profuse, you may see blooms
year-round. The blossoms look like daisies crossed
with the larger non-hybrid sunflowers: cheerful yellow
petals and a nice central button of smaller yellow
buds. This plant pairs well with Salvia clevelandii. San
Diego Sunflower tolerates everything from regular
water through drought, sun to part-sun, sand to clay.
(Viguiera laciniata).
Install these perennials and you have the beginnings
of a hybrid garden. This means you