Over the past few years, Nottingham Forest residents have requested that we improve the look of the neighborhood along the Dairy Ashford frontage.  Over the past several months, the Board engaged a professional landscaping firm to develop a plan that updated the design and removed dead or dying shrubbery from the area.  We sought a plan that was economical and took advantage of the existing, largely-solid brick posts and wooden fencing while creating a distinction between Nottingham Forest and the adjacent frontage of Ashford Forest.

With the assistance of neighborhood resident and landscaping professional Tom Read of Prewett, Read & Associates (www.prewettread.com), we evaluated the submitted plan that included using stacked, interlocking blocks along the frontage and easy to maintain Asian Jasmine as a ground cover.  Pockets were carved out within the ground cover to allow dramatic plantings of shrubs or other large perennials visible while walking or driving past the neighborhood.  Irrigation was improved and modified to make it easier to maintain.

We engaged in a competitive bidding process for the work and selected low bidder and current neighborhood landscaping maintenance contractor Encore Landscaping (713-660-9974) for the construction.  Encore completed its portion of the project by March 2009 and the final portion of the project will be the showpiece plantings in the pockets, which Mike McAuley, board member for Neighborhood Beautification and Maintenance, will complete over the coming month in order to minimize costs to the neighborhood.

Many thanks to Mike, Tom Read of Prewett, Read & Associates and Pablo Sanchez of Encore Landscaping for their crucial efforts in this project. If you have any comments or concerns about the Dairy Ashford landscaping project, please contact Mike McAuley at (281) 679-1804.