ELM REPORT – JUNE 2024
Compared to the beginning of April, this month hasn’t exactly started off with spring weather! On a positive note, below the snow, the grass looks pretty green and at least we are getting some much-needed moisture! Let’s hope that we will have a balanced mix of rain and sunshine this summer!
In the meantime, Edenscapes has removed the winter displays, and we were even able to donate some of the small spruce trees that were placed in some of the rectangular planters as an experiment this past winter. We were very pleased with the different types of winter displays that Edenscapes created for us this year.
If all goes according to plan, Foothills Landscaping will have started to populate the planters and flower beds with our summer selection of plants when the paper copy of the newsletter is delivered into your mailbox! Flowers this year will include rudbeckia, cosmos, salvia, dianthus, snapdragon, dusty miller, chrysanthemum, variegated vinca vines and various types of marigolds, geraniums, and petunias! Something to immensely look forward to! Prior to getting the annuals in the ground, our ELM coordinator together with Foothills will find spots for the perennials donated by our residents! Just a reminder that all flowers in planters and flower beds are for all residents to admire and enjoy; however, under no circumstances can they be removed! We are asking for your help in reporting any infractions to [email protected] and please take pictures should you see anyone removing flowers.
Further to our naturalization pilot project mentioned in the previous newsletter, if you can volunteer any time this summer to help clear the pilot area on the corner of Edgevalley Drive and Edgemont Boulevard near the wooden stairs, please contact our ELM coordinator, Shari Pitka, via email at [email protected]
On the subject of volunteering, there is a high likelihood of a drought in Calgary this summer and the city does not water established trees even if there are no water restrictions. Neither is this an ELM responsibility. However, if there are city owned established trees near your house, you may want to adopt a tree for the summer and wander over with a watering can now and then assuming it is safe for you to do so. Newly planted trees are water by the city for the first five years and typically have some kind of ribbon attached to their trunk.
Pocket gophers love the abundance of sunny slopes with short grass in Edgemont! Last year, we spent a considerable amount of money to discourage them from setting up shop in areas like the disc golf course. Unfortunately, these creatures don’t give up easily and they will just pop up nearby. In consultation with the city, we are planning to spend less money on fighting them. We have asked the city to post signs in affected areas, that there are pocket gophers around making a bit of a mess of the terrain. Please be warned that ground may be uneven in places around Edgemont green spaces.
More news: our ELM coordinator and the Foothills consultant have redesigned the flower bed on the corner of Edgebrook Boulevard and Edgeridge View NW (near the parking lot in that area). However, the city will first have to review and approve the new design. Hopefully, the approval will still come in time for us to make some changes this summer. Stay tuned!
Any concerns or questions regarding ELM, please contact us using the above email address and we will be very happy to respond to your concerns.
Kathleen Stewart, Rick Wierzbicki, Shari Pitka