Knowledgebase

Community wide homeowner lawn and garden help #813371

Asked October 06, 2022, 9:50 AM EDT

Hello. I am on the board of the HOA for the Tuscarora Creek community. Our property manager is performing the annual property review and so far, he is issuing many citations for yards missing lots of grass, weeds in the yard, and weedy, overgrown flower beds. I think a lot of our homeowners are first-time homeowners and maybe lack the skills for maintaining their yard. Do you offer any kind of on-site talks or other interactive resources that as a community we could take advantage of to help?

Frederick County Maryland

Expert Response

Thank you for your question. You are not alone in trying to meet the needs of home-owners, especially new ones who may not know how to take care of their property.

The first thing I would do is to contact the Frederick County Master Gardeners at the link below. See if they have Speakers Bureau or members who would be willing to make a site visit and provide an overview seminar at a HOA Meeting.

https://extension.umd.edu/locations/frederick-county/home-gardening

The following link to Extension information from the University of Maryland has several sections to educate residents about specific topics such as lawn care, invasive weeds and plant care. This is a self-learning tool, but easy to read and understand. There are other sections on vegetable gardening.

https://extension.umd.edu/programs/environment-natural-resources/program-areas/home-and-garden-information-center/yard-and-landscape

If a resident has any specific questions, they can submit them as you did to "Ask The Experts"

Of course, there is a lot of material on the Extension website, including videos. To find answers go to a browser and type in the question in the format: keyword, extension, umd, edu

There is lots of material on YouTube, but it is important to go to mid-Atlantic University (.edu) sites to be sure the information is vetted and relevant to area we live in.

Keep in mind that some Community Property Managers need to be educated too! They may have a problem with people using shrubs and other plants instead of lawn; they may not understand that lawns are not of benefit to the environment as other types of planting. Lawns require constant care, watering, and use of chemicals. Biodiversity is the key to a better environment. Also, vegetable gardening in sunny spaces is another option. It's educational as well as providing healthy food.  Hardscape (rocks, flagstone, sand, mulch, and even artificial grass) can be used in some areas, since it requires minimal care and no water or chemicals.

Although not vetted, and may not be applicable in your community, you can enter "home-owners association and gardens" in your browser to see what others have done.

I hope this helps.

Len

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