By Saven Wilkins

Volunteers planted trees and cleared brush and bamboo, completing the annual spring Landscape Enhancement Day to keep the community looking good and fill in holes in our canopy. Donuts and coffee at the Clubhouse kicked off the day.

The Landscape Committee had ordered 11 trees through Maryland’s Tree-Mendous program, which offers $25 coupons for each tree purchased from a local nursery. The program is also available to individual homeowners.

The program specifies that the coupons be used to plant native trees.

Volunteers on the last Sunday in April planted nine of the 11 trees.

A lot of digging in New Mark’s clay soil was required. Volunteers often took turns digging and chopping open holes large enough to receive the root balls. The four trees with 15-gallon root balls were a big job! These were two Sycamores 10 feet or more in height and two White Oaks which were 8 to 10 feet high.

The other five trees planted that day included three Eastern Redbud, 4-6 feet; and two Flowering Dogwood, 5-6 feet. These had smaller root balls of 5-7 gallons and were somewhat easier to plant.

We got everything in the ground that day except for two Bottlebush Buckeye shrubs, 12-18 inches in height. Landscape Committee members planted those the following weekend.

In addition to clearing brush from the drainage swales behind 400 and 500 New Mark Esplanade, we had a team of volunteers remove Garlic Mustard from along the path in the center of our community. Garlic Mustard is a troublesome invasive plant but is easy to pull up with the roots.

Other improvements carried out by volunteers included tidying the gardens on the outside of the pool fence and pruning back bushes and bamboo next to 100 NME and the Lake. bushes and bamboo next to 100 NME and the lake.

We had at least 17 volunteers: Ardis Fisher, Ron Tipton, Rocio & Tomas Crumley, Wini Herrmann, Eric Peich, Peter & Laurie Krugg, Jonathan Ferguson, Miki Komlosh & Netta Lizak, Max Bliss, Jennifer Jackson, Emily Ecker, Saven Wilkins, JP Muller and Ellen Stein.

Ready to trim

Tomas Crumley is ready to trim, while Ellery Ferguson holds the hand of her little brother Merrick. These three are regulars on Landscape Day. That’s Emily Ecker behind them.

Gathering at clubhouse

Jennifer Jackson, Saven Wilkins, Miki Komlosh, Wini Herrmann, Eric Peich

Max, Saven & Miki

Max Bliss, Saven Wilkins, Miki Komlosh

Planting a tree

Peter Krugg faces the daunting task of planting a tall tree.

Planting along the lake

Erich Peich, left, and J.P. Muller at work planting on the slope up from the lake.

Clearing brush

Jennifer Jackson, Emily Ecker and Saven Wilkins (L-R) clear brush from a drainage swale.

Ready for battle

Jonathan Ferguson is ready for battle.

JP and Ellen

JP Muller and Ellen Stein worked to plant along the Lake and add the fence to protect from wildlife.

Winnie and Laurie

Wini Herrmann, left, and Laurie Krugg tackled the ubiquitous tall Garlic Mustard weeds – with small white flowers – along the woodland path.

Donuts

Donuts kicked off the day! That’s Saven Wilkins, chair of the Landscape Committee, on the left with Ron Tipton. Behind them are Emily Ecker and Jennifer Jackson.

Photos by Rocio Crumley, Ellen Stein