Beautification

Tree watering is ongoing. Because of advice from the Houston Parks Department and Trees for Houston, the watering has been increased from once a week to twice a week for the new trees. Also, some of the four-year-old trees on 18th Street are being heavily watered occasionally. Thanks to all of you who have donated to the beautification fund. The expenses have been increased due to our continuing drought.

Plans are being made for a new project planned for next November. This will be to plant trees in homeowner’s own yards at very low cost. Labor will be provided. This project is being co-sponsored by Trees for Houston. They will probably be at our September meeting  to explain all this. Thanks to Ralph and Mary Ann Bullard for this great idea. We lost trees during Ike and this is a good chance to replace them or to get new trees where there are none. Both large growing and smaller trees will be available.

Please consider watering your trees and shrubbery if you are not doing this already. Damage may not become apparent until a year or two later and you know that landscaping is very expensive. We would like to see Lazybrook stay green. Also. watering around your home will protect your foundation and keep your walls from cracking.

By the time you read this, the tree planting for this year will be finished. Trees were added on Jester near Foodarama and also near Millwood.  A few might be needed on 18th because several trees look as though they are dead. If they do not put out new leaves, they will be removed and replaced.

Unfortunately, I do not expect our wildflowers to be plentiful. The winter has been too dry. The tree watering was continued this winter because rains were so sparse.

I would like to set up an advisory committee to decide what the next step for beautification should be. For instance, do we want to try a flower display bed including putting in irrigation? Should we spent funds to add trees in the park? I’m thinking this could be done mostly by e-mail or phone. Then the ideas could be presented to the membership. Let me know if you are interested in participating.

Thanks again to Nancy Huegel for all her work on the mulching. Please watch the Lazybrook e-mail for notice to stop putting the bags on the medians. We will let you know when the job is done for this season.

Some trees have been cut by Centerpoint on our medians under the wires in the high line right-of way. These were some planted years ago, including a very nice live oak on 18th and several Crape Myrtles. The Parks Department warned me this might happen. My plan is to extend the wildflower area on T. C. Jester about 30 feet and to add a new one on 18th near Lazybrook Baptist Church as a replacement for the trees. I will announce on the Lazybrook e-mail network when volunteers are needed to plant seeds.

Plans are in motion to add the last of the trees in the medians. This will be on West T. C. Jester near 610. Also, two trees died on 18th, and those will be replaced.

Now is the time to plant wildflower seeds. Choose a sunny place. Poppies of all kinds do well, also Cornflowers. You buy mixes in garden stores, or check wildseedfarms.com. Their Texas-Oklahoma Mix is what we used on T.C.Jester.

If you enjoy wildflowers, check out the bee and butterfly garden at 11th Street Park .