Page 8 - Chicago Cooperator Spring EXPO 2019

8 THE CHICAGOLAND COOPERATOR — SPRING EXPO 2019 CHICAGOCOOPERATOR.COM W hether a community is sur- rounded by suburbs or big- city high-rises, a little green- ery can go a long way in adding visual appeal – and value. In fact, given the lack of space and the challenge of keeping plants healthy and thriving, urban gar- dening is perhaps even more valuable. Many community associations tend garden plots of varying shapes and sizes whether they are on roofs, backyards, or dispersed throughout sprawling town- home developments. And while it may seem simple to plant a few shrubs and leave it at that, the cultivation of a gar- den actually requires the participation of several different factions who must band together to reach an aesthetic consensus and plan how to take care of the project throughout the year, in good weather and bad. If your association is considering a garden project – or just looking for tips on how to maintain an existing one – management professionals across several regions offer some sage advice that may be helpful. Taking Charge An early step in any community gar- den project is deciding who will assume the responsibility for organizing and planning. Like any project, this will likely depend on the shape and size of the as- sociation. “With smaller buildings, the board typically handles the logistics,” says Bart Steele, a portfolio manager with Barkan Management Company, Inc. in Boston. “In the larger buildings that I’ve man- aged, there are separate committees that often handle the gardening decisions.” Management should also be heavily involved. “In my experience, landscaping is often left to the managers,” says Janice Avery, a property manager with FirstSer- vice Residential in Chicago. “Sometimes there are committees or board members who chime in and help with some deci- sions, but that interest can wane, leav- ing the manager with the responsibility. In my current community, I’m fortunate that the board takes a very active inter- est in the plan- ning, decision making, and maintenance of the property’s ap p e ar an c e . Our commu- nity has won awards for beautification, and passers-by often stop to take pictures with our lush landscaping. Landscaping is not an inex- pensive budget item, and the more the com- munity is in- volved, the bet- ter maintained the property.” “In my es- tablished as- s o ci a t io n s, there are gar- den or land- scape commit- tees that tend to be very hands-on,” says Natalie Fries, a community manager with Associa Mid- Atlantic in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. “One association that I managed had a farmer/arborist on the board who knew a lot about flowers and plants, and that community was absolutely beautiful.” While a community coming together to pitch in on a garden or landscaping project is a heartwarming image, more affluent associations (or those whose residents are just really busy) can po- tentially outsource the whole thing, and then sit back to admire the final prod- uct. “It’s always best to hire a third-party contractor,” says Susan Fitzpatrick, Di- rector of Residences at The Ritz-Carlton Residences New York, Westchester. “It removes liability from the association, as landscaping requires tools and equip- ment that can lead to injury. Everything we do at Ritz-Carlton is ‘best in class,’ so for us, we always use a third-party land- scaper. Anytime you’re utilizing more than light tools, or are using chemicals like fertilizer or weed killer, you should use a professional. “Garden renovations can be small- or large-scaled,” notes Chuck Schumacher, general manager of The Monaco Beach Club, Inc. in Naples, Florida. “In my ex- perience, on those projects that are small – under $10,000, for example – the land- scape vendor will recommend the right plan for the right place, and the manager will present that plan to a committee and/ or board for approval. For large-scale renovations over $10,000, a local licensed landscape architect/designer should be retained, and they should work closely with the landscape maintenance vendor to insure that the community is receiving the best design and plantings for the area. “That said, there can be light work on the premises, and residents may en- joy having a stake in the planting of the property,” Fitzpatrick adds. “If you have light tools and a light job, you can always involve the community – especially re- tirees – with a weekend planting. Sup- ply some shovels, mulch, and a design plan. Have volunteers do light trimming, mulching, and planting. Make sure to use caution around potentially buried gas lines, and be careful with children and tools – have them plant flowers or small trees which they can watch grow over the years. And offer some food: cookies, lem- onade, bags of chips and water to give to the volunteers as they work.” Tight Spaces Much of the above assumes that as- sociations have lawns, or at least plots of open ground in which they can plant. But for some communities space is at a premium, and they may need to get more creative in order to introduce a greener element to their property. “My last community had space con- straints,” says Avery. “The property was beneath an elevated train intersection, so natural sunlight was a real problem. In addition, the City of Chicago installed oversized concrete planters, but didn’t actually plant anything in them. There were eight or 10 of these planters, and the property was not served well by leaving them empty, so as the manager, I was able to obtain a small budget for landscaping after showing the community this missed opportunity. Using this budget, I hired a LANDSCAPING, LAWN CARE & CURB APPEAL/EXPO Planning and Maintaining a Community Garden Planting Value BY MIKE ODENTHAL ISTOCKPHOTO.COM