Landscape Committee

By Mary Sapp, Chair 

Lakeport has two Beautify Lakeport Workdays each year. The next one will be Saturday, October 10, 9:00-11:00, starting in Triangle Park. Please email msapp@miami.edu to volunteer. Last spring’s was very successful. Twenty-two volunteers (see who they were in the “Thanks to Volunteers” article and see photos below) participated and accomplished the following: 

• Worked on rebuilding two ends of the swale 

• Removed weeds next to the RA path to the pool, at the rain garden, and across from the dock

• Removed invasive plants on Lakespray Way, next to the RA path to the pool, and in Triangle Park

• Removed 2 dead plants between 1930 and 1932 Lakeport Way

• Trimmed dead branches from bushes and yuccas 

• Removed trash from lake and swept dock  

• Repaired the Little Library 

• Cleaned mailboxes 

Now that the summer heat is (mostly) over, we can turn to installing new plants in several areas. The Landscape Committee is planning several projects for the fall: 

• Removal of several dead/dying hollies in the verge (“area between a path/sidewalk and parking”) by the RA path next to the Safeway brick wall between 1985 and 1989 Lakeport Way and replacement with drought-resistant liriope spicata and narrow boulders in locations that won’t interfere with car doors, plus a few accent plants in the middle between the crepe myrtles.

• Plant more drought-resistant sedum Autumn Joy (some of these plants are already surviving there) and sedum Angelina (some are in the planter at the entrance) next to the iron railing behind 1959 Lakeport Way. 

• Redo the planter in Triangle Park (original plants have not done well and recent vandalism of the soaker hose hasn’t helped). We are waiting to hear what the proposed solution will be. Credits for warrantied plants that died will be applied. 

• Several other projects are also under consideration.

Marjorie Myers (11108 Lakespray Way) has graciously arranged to purchase, install, and water two drought-resistant Eastern Red Cedars across from her home beside an unofficial “path” in the woods next to Lakespray Way. 

Recently Riverbend Landscaping & Tree Service and The Arborist removed a dying hazard hemlock and six dead hazard trees, removed the dead leader of the maple next to 1959 Lakeport Way, and trimmed branches encroaching on two homes, plus dead branches at the entrance, the bottom of the Lakespray hill, and across the upper part of Lakespray. The stump from a dead tree removed by the Lakespray mailbox will be ground out and another tree will be planted in that area.

Several projects were completed near the dock. To help keep geese from the grass, Complete Landscaping, our landscape maintenance contractor, removed an invasive Chinese fountain grass that had overgrown a small rose bush and daffodils and transplanted three Agastache from the pollinator garden there (just to the left of the roses next to the dock—see first photo below). Complete also planted four new native fragrant sumac shrubs (they will turn brilliant shades of orange, red, and purple in the fall) just to the left of the pollinator garden (second photo below). To make room for the sumacs, Complete also transplanted three spireas just below the three transplanted Agastaches (also in the first photo below).    

In addition Complete installed some sod next to the dock and beside a bollard in front of 1963, and volunteers watered it regularly to get it established. A soaker hose system was set up to help with watering the pollinator garden.

Complete installed barriers at the south end of the verge by the Safeway brick wall and next to the Kids Garden and transplanted around 20 liriope plants that had spread into the Kids Garden (this will reduce the cost of the verge project mentioned above). Next month Complete Landscaping will replace seven warrantied callicarpa bushes in the two entrance beds and one itea next to the RA path to the pool that died.