Broadmoor Residents' Association

Hello, my name is Jason Stagg and I was recently appointed to be the Beautification Committee's chairperson for 2008. This committee is charged primarily with maintaining the flower beds at our neighborhood entrance signs, putting out seasonal decorations on the neighborhood signs, and selecting homeowners to receive Yard of the Season awards. In addition, other landscaping projects such as the mulching of the "Adopt-an-Oak" Goodwood Boulevard trees are ours to do. We have only has 5 regularly-active members, so I'm really going to need to recruit additional help! I understand that many people can't attend regular monthly board meetings or simply don't want to, so if that describes you but you are still interested in actual beautification activities and projects, please contact me because I'd love to have the help. Just send an email Attn: Jason.

Spring is here and with it comes the busiest time of the year for the Beautification Committee. I'm really happy to report that we've had sevveral volunteers sign up for the committee and we've already had a few work days in the neighborhood.

Our biggest task is to make sure all six flower beds around the neighborhood signs stay full of showy flowers. In the last few weeks, we've removed all the cold weather annuals and replaced them with bright vinca plants and a variety of caladiums that grow in full sun. We fertilized and replaced all the mulch, and picked up litter around the signs.

Since the last newsletter we've also installed about 30 beautiful parsley haw trees in the "S" curve on Goodwood Boulevard. Many thanks again to Entergy for awarding the grant to plant these! This is a beautiful native tree that stays fairly small and won't interfere with the power lines that cross Goodwood at this location. The small lacy leaves and open structure of the trees will really give Broadmoor a unique look on the boulevard. Unfortunately, someone has already taken a few short cuts across the median in this area and driven over some of the new trees, so I hope people are little more careful after reading this.

Committee volunteers have also had three dead trees removed along the Airline service road, replaced a number of dead shrubs along Airline Highway, and worked many hours in preparation for our Junque Sale, the proceeds of which will go towards rebuilding the neighborhood sign at Sharp and Goodwood. In addition, volunteers finished spreading the mulch around all the live oaks on the boulevard near the Sharp Road intersection. However, two days after this project was finished, the torrential rain and hail storm of April 22nd completely washed most of the mulch away! I guess we learned the hard way that the drainage is too poor on this end of Goodwood to keep the much-needed mulch on the live oaks.

Our next project before summer is to focus on the trees and shrubs that the state planted along Airline highway. We need to weed around them, put down a pre-emergent herbicide, and add more mulch to all these plantings. I am working with the city and state as I write this to help us get this done . . . wish me luck!

Sign Task Force

The Sign Committee has reported that the insurance company for the owner of the car that destroyed our sign at Goodwood and Sharp Road has denied coverage coverage for our claim. It seems that the owner had signed an waiver to the policy that excluded coverage for the driver of the car. The committee discussed this matter with an attorney and has decided we have no legal remedies worth persuing. The replacement of the sign is on hold until funds can be raised to cover construction costs. Proceeds from the Second Annual Broadmoor Junque Sale to be held March 29-30 will be used towards beautification and sign expenses.

For those who are unaware of the problem, in March of 2007, the brick enclosure and recently re-landscaped beds were destroyed by a hit and run driver. The police later found the owner of the car and the association planned on receiving some compensation from an insurance claim which would then be used towards building a replacement sign. In order to make a legitimate claim, the committee had to obtain several estimates for removing the damaged sign and beds, and then replacing it with the same materials, etc. The lowest of the bids to do these jobs was approximately $5000.

Prior to this incident, several residents in the area had discussed the sign's placement and look and the committee has worked on a new design which they hope to use once the funding issue is resolved.

If you have questions, suggestions or want to volunteer or donate funds, please call (225) 926-9829 or send an email Attn: Jason.

EBR backyard compost bin sale/mulch giveaway/recycle roundup will be held on July 19th

The Baton Rouge City-Parish Department of Public Works backyard compost bin sale/mulch giveaway/recycle roundup will be held on July 19th at the Louisiana Department of Insurance at 6945 Florida Boulevard. For more information click here or visit www.brgov.com/dept/recycle/

Spring/Summer 2008 Yard of the Season Winners

(5/20/08) - The Beautification Committee Chairman has announced the winners for "Yard of the Season" Spring/Summer 2008. All four winners pictured to the right exemplify the wonderful, lush green landscapes that can be achieved in South Louisiana. Congratulations to our winners for setting such good examples for the neighborhood! A $50 gift certificate from Vernon's Hardware was awarded to each homeowner.

Adopt-an-Oak Project

Click here for photos and more information about the EBR Tree & Landscape Commission "Adopt-an-Oak Program" or its accompanying seminar series held in Broadmoor, call (225) 926-9829 or send an email Attn: Jason.

April 15: Time to Organize Neighborhood Fire Ant Control

Two things are inevitable this time of year in Louisiana, taxes and pesky fire ants. April 15 is an important deadline for Federal taxes, and it is also the beginning of fire ant season. It is a good idea to begin planning now for a mid-April community-wide assault on your neighborhood fire ant populations. Researchers at the LSU AgCenter have found that when people join together in their fight against fire ants that they are more successful, and it is more cost effective for everyone. For example, in one study, they found that residents spent ten times less money on ant bait, put three times less chemical in the environment, and achieved six months of fire ant suppression when they conducted a neighborhood fire ant suppression program. This means they only have to treat twice a year. For details, call Dale Pollet at 578-2370 or Patty Beckley at 578-2180 at the LSU AgCenter Department of Entomology. Email or pbeckley@agcenter.lsu.edu or visit the web site at LSU AgCenter

Why hire an arborist? Trees, on home grounds or in parks, are valuable assets to us all. Trees also are a long-term investment for property owners and managers. Like any investment, trees require effort to keep their value. That means that tree owners and managers must make careful decisions about care and maintenance, which may require occasional advice and service of a professional. In the world of landscape and community trees, arborists are the specialists who can help safeguard your trees. This article will help explain when it is best to call an arborist and how to select the right one. Continue . . .

Many plants that we associate with the South, like this azalea, actually originate in other parts of the world. A few species, like water hyacinth, cause widespread problems. Here, water hyacinth forms a dense mat that prevents light from reaching the water of a bayou in south Louisiana. Aggressive invaders, like this cat's claw vine shrouding trees in a park near New Orleans, can harm natural areas by excluding native plants. The United States is a nation of avid gardeners. We garden for food and for pleasure, and since the earliest European colonists arrived here almost 600 years ago, we have relied on an enormous number of plants from all parts of the world to populate our gardens. Continue . . .

Hallie Dozier is an Assistant Professor at LSU AgCenter's School of Renewable Natural Resources, and a member of the Broadmoor Residents Association.