B&G-Grounds Newsletter – July 2026
B&G Volunteer Updates
What our OLCA volunteers have been working on
Summer Watering Schedule
June has been good for our landscaping as we have experienced cooler weather and regular rain. It now looks like we will be in a warming trend. With heat indexes surpassing 100° this week, we need to be more attentive to watering.
For those owners who are watering, please check your plants every few days for dry soil. Insert your finger in the ground a couple inches. If it is dry, it is time to water, even if less than 7 days. This is especially important in the first year of a new planting. Many thanks for keeping our plants healthy!
Also, any owner can adopt a tree or bush in their area to water this summer. Even established plants can use some water if we have hot or dry weather. If there is a bush or tree near you, feel free to give it a good dousing. It will thank you with years of healthy growth.
Volunteers Needed
If any owner is interesting in volunteering, please provide your contact information to Buildings and Grounds. We always happy to have the extra help. Tasks include adopting a shrub or tree to water for the season (through November 30th), helping write email blasts, helping plant, and working with vendors.
B&G-Grounds News
From our hardworking committee
Removal and Replacement of Dead Evergreen Bushes
This past month B&G and a member of our board conducted a comprehensive survey of the dead bushes that we observed in spring. The survey included photos of each area along with address and building. The board is working with John Sileno and KEI to determine a solution. This might take some time so we ask for everyone’s patience.
In the meantime, the board has agreed that B&G may proceed to remove 12 hazardous individual dead arborvitae bushes in the patio areas of “C” buildings. These bushes are situated on a tiny spit of land at the corner of the garage. One of our contractors, Straight Line Lawn Care, will remove these bushes by July 3rd.
Viburnum Removal and Replacement
B&G will be contracting the removal of six viburnum hedges this summer due to viburnum leaf beetle infestation. The locations are building 24 east, 32 west, 44 north, 23 northeast, 30 north and 30 south. Even though some of the leaves have grown back since the spring outbreak, the beetles will continue to infest the hedges each year. Thus we made the decision to replace all hedges with more insect-proof and robust bush species. Straight Line Lawn Care will remove the viburnums the second or third week of July.
Buildings with north-facing hedges will receive scarlet elderberry, a species that grows well in shade. Buildings with east, west, southwest or south-facing hedges will receive either common ninebark (regular height) or dwarf bush honeysuckle (shorter height), species that require sun. These species are all Wisconsin natives and flourish in various growing conditions including salt, wet, dry and clay.
OLCA volunteers will plant replacement hedges for buildings 24, 32 and 44 summer 2026. And for buildings 23 and 30 spring or summer 2027.
Other Shrub Replacements
Perhaps you have noticed in your walk around our complex that the original St John’s wort bush in the river birch and rock garden on the hill in front of building 29 is now deceased. In doing research, we learned that St John’s wort prefers riparian areas, floodplains, stream banks, and rich woods. Unfortunately this location is near the top of a hill and more on the dry side, which is probably why the bush did not make it.
In its place we will be planting oldfield common juniper and bush cinquefoil (aka potentilla). Both can grow in many conditions, from wet to dry, and sand to clay. There are already two bush cinquefoils in this garden, and adding a third will make the overall presentation more appealing. These small shrubs create lovely sprays yellow flowers. OLCA volunteers will plant these replacements summer 2026.
Also on the list for summer 2026 planting is the area south of building 47 by the AC units. This will be the first location where we will remove large arborvitaes and plant new smaller shrubs. Building 47 is one of five “B” buildings where arborvitaes were planted when the condo was developed. We will be systematically replacing large arborvitaes from the other “B” buildings over the next few years.
If anyone is interested in helping plant these replacement shrubs this summer, please contact B&G. And we will also be looking for volunteer waterers. Please consider stepping up if you are able.
Ash Trees
When our condo was developed Sileno Company planted many ash trees. At that time, these were considered a good long-lived canopy tree. Now we are seeing ash trees infested with emerald ash borer being removed from all over the state. Presently there are about 20 ash trees in our complex. Some are fairly healthy and some have visibly dead limbs. B&G, along with its tree service, will be evaluating these trees annually to determine which should be treated, left to stand, or removed. OLCA will need to budget for treatment, removal and/or replacement for the next several years.
Since Overlook Lakes was developed in the early 1990s, some owners have opted to speed the replacement of dead or dying bushes or trees by contracting on their own. Those owners provided their plans to B&G and then financed the removal and planting.
Expediting Replacements
Owners cited their desire to replace a plant that was dying but not yet dead. Typically OLCA only replaces when the plant is dead. Owners also cited their desire for a certain type or size of plant, different from what the association generally provides.
OLCA prioritizes replacements using a number of factors including hazard to buildings and owners, number of owners who view the plant, how long the plant has been dead, the cost to remove the existing plant, and the volunteer labor hours or contractor cost to plant new. As you know, we have a set budget and cannot always obtain replacements in the year a plant is observed to be dying or dead.
If any owner is interested in expediting the B&G planting schedule by financing a replacement please submit your idea using the Owner Exception Request Form. The form is on our website and hard copies are in the management office.
B&G will need to review the idea based on growing conditions and ensure you are using a legitimate contractor. If your replacement is visible to other building owners, you will need to get consensus from them as well. This can be an excellent way to obtain what you want and not have to wait for the OLCA planting schedule.
Contractor Corner
How our landscaping contractors are keeping our property healthy and beautiful
MMSD
Davey Tree Service, the first contractor for MMSD, has completed our tree survey and produced a list of trees and shrubs for planting. Our next step is to determine what we will plant in 2026 and in 2027. Our plan is to split the list approximately in half. As soon as we have that we will email all owners. Planting will be completed by a different contractor after MMSD bids out the project.
The planned timeframe for planting is September 2026 and September 2027. As explained in a previous newsletter, OLCA volunteers will be crafting deer fencing and watering the trees. This means we will need owners to help with these tasks.
Stump Grinding
As our property ages we continue see dead or dying trees that need to be removed. Once trees are felled, if they were located on grass, we will grind the stump and plant something else. Trees such as buckthorn removed from wooded areas do not need their stumps ground. Nature will biodegrade the stumps over time.
Here is the list of stump grinding for summer 2206:
- Ash stump street Bldg 48 9073 WB (needed for new MMSD gingko tree)
- Spruce stump street Bldg 39 8752 WB (we will plant grass in that location)
- Maple stump close to Bldg 30 9119 WL (we will plant grass in that location)
- 3 Arborvitae stumps behind Bldg 47 9041/9055 WL (we will plant bushes in that location)
Former Trees Grass Seeding
The best time to seed grass is spring and fall. OLCA volunteers will continue to seed grass in some of the smaller areas; however we will be using contractors for the larger or more challenging jobs.
Here is the list of areas we plan to seed fall 2026:
- Bldg 33 8948 Woodbridge, former maple tree
- Behind Bldg 25 8905 Woodbridge along woods edge
- Bldg 39 8752 Woodbridge (former spruce tree)
- Bldg 30 9119 Westlake (former maple tree)
Ravine Edge Grass Seeding
We continue to restore the ravine area that ends on Woodbridge. Our plan is to remove buckthorn on the western and southern edges, then seed grass. In addition, MMSD will be planting native trees where some of the larger buckthorns were situated. We are not removing buckthorn in the ravine itself.
Planting grass on the western and southern edges of the ravine is a complex project requiring root removal and ground remediation. As such, we are coordinating with potential vendors to determine the timeframe based on our budget. As of now, we are hoping to contract the root removal and grass seeding in fall 2026 or spring 2027.
- West side of ravine near Bldg 33 8946 Woodbridge
- South edge of ravine on Woodbridge
- Southeast side of ravine near Bldg 34 8876 Woodbridge
As always, if you have questions of the volunteer owners on the B&G committee, feel free to send an email.
B&G Landscape Committee
