The Villages 252 is a newsletter to inform and update residents of the Villages Community.

Overseeding in the Villages began this week and will continue through the following week. Please remove any lawn decorations that are placed in the turf areas. This area needs to be clear to put down seed and will be watered 7 times per day through November 7th. Please keep all lawn decorations off the turf through November 7th to allow for proper germination and to avoid any damage to your decor.

We appreciate your anticipated cooperation during the turf transition and are looking forward to having green lawns through the winter.

In September, Redword reduced the size of overgrown Bougainvillea and cut back the Red Bird of Paradise throughout the community. During October, Redword will cut back the Purple Fountain Grass. Cutting back the Red Bird of Paradise and Purple Fountain Grass will allow for some growth over the next month and keep the plant material small and green throughout winter.

Redword Landscape practices seasonal shrub pruning which calls for trimming shrubs back to roughly half their size once or twice a year and then leaving the shrub to grow naturally in between pruning. Minor pruning is also done as necessary to any shrubs encroaching on sidewalks, walkways, or driveways. Below are some of the benefits of seasonal shrub pruning:

• Seasonal shrub pruning allows plants space to grow in place longer, avoiding constant trimming. 
• This means shrubs are not sheared/shaped into balls, rectangles, or other forms. Frequent shearing requires the plant to use more water to recover and damages shrubs in the long term. Many sheared shrubs only have leaves on the very outside while the interior of the plant is bare. Over time, the frequent stress put on the plant through shearing weakens the plant and can eventually lead to death. 
• Less trimming during warmer, flowering months means more beautiful blooms in your community. And since shrubs aren’t suffering from cuts, even green foliage is more vibrant and attractive.

Five homes along the south side of Raftriver received irrigation upgrades, including rebuilding the valve manifold, adding sprinkler heads, and replacing nozzles for increased coverage.

Four homes at the South end of Redmont, which were the model homes for The Villages, also received irrigation upgrades. Upgrades for these homes included adding a valve, installing all new piping to increase the size of the lateral lines, and laying out a new sprinkler pattern for better coverage.

Three valve manifolds were repaired and repiped along Raftriver. Two were due to leaks, and the other was upgraded for better sprinkler coverage.

SavaTree was onsite, October 7th to 9th to remove 8 dead trees and dead wood from two trees in The Villages. The removals will include stump grinding, which will be completed shortly after removal.

Over the summer, we have converted 5 yards on Saddleback Circle to xeriscape in the Villages. The next phase of yards will be chosen for conversion to be completed this winter. The homes selected for the turf conversion were based on being the most shaded areas throughout the community. The homes chosen have huge mature trees that are close together and are planted on the turf. This means shade is over the turf areas for almost all of the day.

Arizona's temperature allows us to have two different growing seasons. With two seasons, we can produce two types of grass: summer (Bermuda) and winter (Rye) grass. Winter grass will grow well in shaded areas, but Bermuda needs 6-8 hours of direct sunlight to be healthy. With the continuous shade over the years, Bermuda has been all but gone. 

There are two options to remedy the situation of not being able to grow summer grass at these residences. One is to remove the mature trees in the front yards, causing the shade and opening the areas to continuous sunlight. Then, reseed all areas with Bermuda grass and build a healthy turf. The other option was to convert them by re-piping the areas for drip irrigation, adding plants, and then topdressing with granite. This option allows for an upgrade to the 25-year-old irrigation with PVC pipe and a more efficient water system. It also allows for continuous savings on water. 

As part of our strategic plan, we have decided to change the name of the Villages Landscape Committee to the Villages Improvement Committee. We are looking for residents who are solution-oriented and willing to serve on this committee. If you are interested, please get in touch with Angie Torrez. A new committee description and committee charter are coming soon.

Association Office

Red Mountain Ranch Country Club

6644 E. Thomas Rd.

Mesa, AZ 85215

480-981-6480

Association Mailing Address

CCMC Corporate Office 

8360 E. Via De Ventura, Suite L-100

Scottsdale, AZ 85258

480-921-7500

Account Information and Help

866-244-2262

After-hours Emergency Line

1-800-274-3165