Spring is almost over. Our bermuda lawns are greening up, some faster than others. Our spring bulbs and azaleas are about finished blooming for the season. But the work is just beginning! Here are some helpful tips for what you should be doing, or already have done in your yard to prepare for summer while cleaning up from spring.

Go ahead and pull out those pansies and any other cool season color you put in last fall and replace it with your summer annuals. Yes, even though your pansies are really looking good and you hate to pull them, starting your summer annuals now will ensure that they will get a good start while the temperatures are still moderate to ensure a strong plant when the weather gets hot and dry. Don't forget to fertilize your new plants after installation with a good three-month slow release fertilizer. Remember, most 10-10-10 garden fertilizers only last 30 days and then you will need to reapply.

If you have bulbs in your flowerbeds and want to plant annuals, do not cut back your bulbs just yet. Rather, plant your annuals amongst your bulbs carefully so you don't dig up your bulbs. If you don't want to be able to see the bulb leaves because you don't like the look of dying leaves in your flower bed, make or buy u shaped staples about an inch across by 2 to 3 inches long and lay the leaves of the bulbs down on the ground and staple them to the ground to hide them until they die back on their own. Remember, the leaves of your spring bulbs are in the process of collecting energy for next years flower and need to stay in the flower bed until they die back, at which time they can be removed.

Now over to turf. We should all have our first and second applications of fertilizer down on our bermuda turf. The first application should have been the end of February using a 0-0-15, or there about, with a pre-emergent for crabgrass and other summer weeds. Our second application on bermuda should have been about 2 weeks after green-up using a 22-4-10, or there about, to assist with the green up process. Our next application is due mid May using another blast of a 22-4-10, or something close to those numbers. Additionally, if you want your bermuda to really have a dark, emerald green color this year, try using some chelated iron. Iron can be applied anytime during the growing season.

Now for the fescue back yard folks, you should be on your second application of fertilizer. Your first application should have been at the end of February using a 20-5-10 or so with a pre-emergent for summer weed control. Your second application of fertilizer is due now using a 5-5-20 with a pre-emergent for further weed control. You do not want to blast your fescue with high nitrogen at this time of the year. What you want to do is to strengthen up your roots so your fescue can summer over without a lot of dieback.

And remember, if you intend to overseed or seed your lawn, you DO NOT want to apply a pre-emergent until after your grass seed has germinated and you have mowed it two times.

      Dan Donboch

Since our annual meeting in January we have continued to plan and search for ways to improve our communications tools and activities. Enhancements to our newsletter and web site are being considered and our directory updates are being finalized.

Advertising is a great way to bring in some revenue for HOA activities and let your neighbors know about your business. The annual rates are included in this newsletter and on our web site. The cost includes at least 8 newsletters per year and a banner ad on our web site. Residents get a 50% discount and we encourage everyone to ask your local business contacts to advertise with us. There is no charge to run an ad for personal services such as babysitting. If you want to run an ad please contact Dan Donboch at imjdd@hotmail.com

Our web site still needs some tweaking and we are looking at a variety of options to make it more user friendly. We will be looking for a new Web Master after June so if anyone is interested please give me a call (281-9896). If anyone has a classified ad to put on the website please send an email to our current Web Master, Jared Donboch, at webmaster@plantersrow.net

We are a little behind schedule getting our revised Resource Guide published. All sections of the guide are being revised and will be distributed as soon as possible. Newer residents who have not received an original Resource Guide will get a fully assembled and bound directory, while tenured residents will receive updated inserts for their existing guide.

TRANSITION TEAM

Susan Thomas

I may be relocating from Planter's Row in the next few months and would like to bring a new Chair and three other members to the Transition effort. I had hoped to finish all the transition work before my departure but at least three major tasks need to be accomplished in order for the transition work to be completed successfully and for the community to benefit from it.

As you know I've found the transition work to be very interesting. I consider each task to be at a very exciting stage. I'd like to connect a community member with each task and to prepare a community member to coordinate and guide the work overall.

Please review the following tasks, as well as the opportunity to chair the effort overall, and be in touch with me at your earliest convenience by calling 297-9096 (with voicemail) or e-mailing ReachSusan@aol.com:

1. To assist Ken Gallagher, PR HOA Treasurer, in negotiating a transition settlement with the community's developers;
2. To assist Kent Hendrick, PR HOA Chair, in performing due diligence and obtaining competent, proactive property management for the community; and
3. To assist the Board as a whole transform the HOA organization from one set of committees and chairs to another, including the transformation of the Transition Committee to a Long-Range Planning Committee chaired by the Past-President of the PR HOA.

I very much look forward to learning of your availability and expertise, and to reorganizing the transition effort to accomplish these most important community responsibilities.

Thanks!

Neighborhood Watch    

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Block representatives of the Neighborhood Watch program met with Captain Steve Moore of the Mauldin police department on Wednesday, April 24th to discuss community issues.

We were assured that the town of Mauldin, and particularly Planters Row, both remain safe areas to live. Captain Moore stated that the already low crime rate in Mauldin has been on the decline after peaking in 1999. He also complimented Planters Row on being a good community with relatively few problems. We were informed that an increase in neighborhood patrol is now being provided on the weekends as well.

Growth in our area has created one major problem for both the town and our community - traffic. Mauldin is seeing a sharp increase in congested roads. Closer to home, Planters Row residents continue to complain most about speeding drivers, many of whom live within our community. Residents must adhere to our 25-MPH speed limit, especially with a large number of children playing outdoors. Should excessive speeds continue, other means such as stop signs, speed bumps and/or increased police patrol may be needed.

Captain Moore has agreed to help us coordinate a bike rodeo to promote bicycle safety for our youth. We need 5-10 committed volunteers to help run the event before it can be scheduled. If you are willing to pitch in on a fun and educational day for our community's kids, please contact me at 213-9378 or at craigturbo@worldnet.att.net.