As you plan to work in your yards this month, keep in mind the following suggestions from the Landscape and Facilities Management Committee:

•    The first week of June - set your lawn mower as high as it will go and keep it there all summer.  This will choke out weeds without using chemicals and will minimize the amount of water your lawn will need.  If weeds are present then bag and throw out the clippings.  If no weeds, you should set your mower to mulch the clippings to feed the lawn.

The Garden Club of Montclair was established in 1975 to stimulate interest and enjoyment in gardening,
and to better beautify our homes and community
through improved landscape gardening methods.

Click here to learn more about what they do by reading the Garden Club of Montclair brochure.

Click here to read the latest issue of the Garden Club's newsletter: The Garden Scoop.

Please Support the New Budget

As residents of Montclair, you know that this is a beautiful community.  It is, however, an aging community and competes with a number of newer developments as a place to live.  As part of the FY2009 budget, the Landscape and Facilities Management Committee (LFMC) has proposed that MPOA establish a special landscaping fund.  Each year, the LFMC seeks to identify and address landscaped areas that need repair and to begin new landscaping projects throughout the community.  This fund would finance the purchase and installation of new and replacement trees, shrubs, and other plant materials for the common areas of Montclair.  Here are some of the benefits of such a fund:

A Long-Range Landscaping Plan for Montclair

The pear trees are showing their age and the Landscape and Facilities Management Committee has a plan of action for the affected medians.  It will basically move us from a straight line of trees, to groupings of trees, shrubs, and ground cover.

At the sunny ends of the plantings, we can insert beds of perennials and grasses.  We plan on using non-invasive trees and shrubs that exhibit a wide variety of color, flowers, and texture.  The ground covers and perennials will be drought resistant and low maintenance.    This is one portion of the Long-Range Landscaping Plan that we have presented to the community this fall as part of the FY '09 budget process.  If you have any questions about the long-range plan, please feel free to contact Donna Burke-Fonda at 703/730-0491 or donnaburke57@comcast.net.    If you support this plan, please let a Board member know.  They will be voting on the proposed budget in December and need to know what you think! 

Do you care about the lack of grass in many of the medians, the need for an entranceway sign at Route 234, the broken pear trees, or the overall landscaping aesthetics of your community?  Do you enjoy working as a team and helping to follow through on projects?  Can you visualize a more beautiful Montclair, and if so, do you want to help make it happen? 

If this describes you, please consider attending one of the next Landscape and Facilities Management Committee meetings.  Even better, come join the Committee as a new member.  We need your help!

The Landscape and Facilities Management Committee meets on the third Thursday of the month, in the MPOA office building at 7pm.  For more information, please call Donna Burke-Fonda at 703-730-0491 or e-mail at donnaburke57@comcast.net.