Your Garden at ParkFairfax
April 24, 2019
This is such a wonderful time of year, and ParkFairfax is the place to live! The cold dark winter is behind us - the days are getting longer and warmer, flowers are coming up, trees are turning green, and people are coming out of their homes to enjoy the great outdoors. There are a lot of activities, events, and festivals on the weekends, with plenty of opportunity to enjoy being outside, within the community and in the surrounding area. Many of us are beautifying our yards and gardens, which we will enjoy throughout the next several months.
At ParkFairfax, we have an incredible resource in our community association. The website is full of links, guides, and information, the likes of which is not often seen in a typical HOA. The resource section (http://www.parkfairfax.info/resources) includes everything from a thorough welcome packet, to police resources, community maps, administrative forms, floor plans, and recreational resources. The comprehensive information we are sharing in this blog has to do with landscaping in our community (http://www.parkfairfax.info/resources/landscape-information/) There are 16 links on this page, all with valuable information to encourage a beautiful community. We are focusing on: The Garden Guide (http://www.parkfairfax.info/content/uploads/2011/05/garden-guide-revised-02-22-11.pdf) A 14 page article covering everything you need to know to create a healthy and gorgeous yard here at ParkFairfax.
The first section is a list of recommended plants, in both the common and botanical names. Not everything grows well everywhere, so it’s good to know where to put your gardening resources. Some of these plants are well-known and may be familiar to you, and others may be a new find. For instance, Sage, Violet, and Day Lilly , are common to most people. But did you know that Lamb's Ears, Snakeroot, and Goat’s Beard are also excellent choices for our area? There is a long list with many interesting choices to create a beautiful garden.
The Association has established guidelines for planting gardens, taking the guesswork out of knowing the parameters - where and how much. You may plant foundation gardens in front and on the side of buildings within 10 feet of your unit. You may also plant patio gardens within 20 feet of a unit having limited common element space behind it. The guidelines also go into recommended heights, distance from construction areas, and raised beds. Of course, talking to your neighbors before staring a large gardening project is always a good idea.
Designing your garden based on the space available is critical to the outcome. The guide gives some examples of good designs for small or large spaces. This is a wonderful resource for those of us who don’t naturally come by garden design and landscaping. It also talks about how to handle a shared porch. Clearly, you wouldn’t want one side of a porch to be accented by gorgeous plants and flowers and the other side to be empty. This brings balance to the overall aesthetics of the community.
An important warning is also made, to be careful about non-native invasive plant species and not putting ground cover too close to the woodlands. Elements like water, mulch, and fertilizer can have an impact on our neighbors and environment. There are so many things to consider in our natural world and we are fortunate to have this kind of support to make it work best for all. ParkFairfax is looking lovelier by the day! Please let me know if you’d like more information about buying or selling a home in ParkFairfax.
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