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Hana Hanleigh and Jim Nelson assess one of the HOA landscaped areas in Casa Paloma II.
An agave, flowering shrub and cactus are right at home in a thriving gravel and rock mound created in Casa Paloma II.
A rock cairn stands tall next to a large gravel mound planted with various cactus in this HOA.
Hana Hanleigh checks on the plants along a path off of Calle del Chancero.
A variety of colors, shapes and materials make for an inviting scene.
Hana Hanleigh and Jim Nelson assess one of the HOA landscaped areas in Casa Paloma II.
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Healthy desert-adapted trees, shrubs, cactus and more are adding to Mother Nature's bounty at Green Valley's Casa Paloma II neighborhood.
Thanks to its dedicated ReVegetation Committee members who call Casa Paloma II home, a handful of sites in this homeowner association are being created step by step throughout the spacious community.
Leading the way in this blossoming landscape plan are committee members Hana Hanleigh, Jim and Barbara Nelson, Jody Bost, Jerry Brown and Richard Erling.
“Everyone brings their own expertise,”Hanleigh points out, joking that she's unorganized, but has 30 years of landscaping experience. For his part, Jim Nelson had a hobby greenhouse in Nebraska, and followed in his mother's footsteps when it came to planting and gardening. A member of the Casa Paloma II board of directors, he jovially describes himself as “an organizational geek.”
Add to that more hard-working volunteers, garden planting designs by Hanleigh, and helpful spouses and partners, and the ReVeg Committee is making good progress. Local help also came from obliging, on time and polite Green Valley Decorative Rock workers.
Starting with a blank slate, rejuvenating landscape efforts got underway in 2020 with a goal of enhancing Casa Paloma II's HOA areas with attractive drought-resistant plants, landscape materials, pottery, bird baths and a mix of whimsical art pieces.
An agave, flowering shrub and cactus are right at home in a thriving gravel and rock mound created in Casa Paloma II.
Challenges included javelinas munching away on the cactus and flowering euphorbias, Hanleigh recalls. Nelson also encountered javelina feasting on paddle cactus. Rock-hard caliche below the ground was another issue they overcame by building dirt mounds on top of those areas, then covering that space with gravel and rocks to create a more attractive look.
Fortunately, HOA members donated barrel cactus, wheelbarrows and more rocks to make stream beds. And artistic neighbors in the neighborhood added color and style with birdbaths, totems and other outdoor art. Vegetation has been added in each zone too, being as fair and equal as possible amongst the neighborhood sites, Nelson points out.
Hana Hanleigh checks on the plants along a path off of Calle del Chancero.
Eye-catching Agaves and golden barrel cactus are accompanied by fragrant sage, lovely salvias, colorful Texas rangers and blooming Bird of Paradise. Hanleigh particularly loves the eye-catching colors of the hedgehog and barrel cactus.
Several areas in Casa Paloma II now sport a total of six new mounds with access to water, which helps new plants and oak, ash and other trees get established. The oaks have thrived quite well. Lessons learned include treating grubs that otherwise damage Agave plants, and finding a great fertilizer at Mesquite Valley Growers in Tucson that helps cactus get established in a new setting.
A rock cairn stands tall next to a large gravel mound planted with various cactus in this HOA.
While no plant is completely javelina-proof, Nelson notes that with 195-plus plants now in place, losses have been minimal. Not every one thrives where it is planted, but many are holding their own.
One of the new landscape sites is on Calle del Chancero. Keeping tabs on microclimates, the committee members have planted cactus, shrubs and some trees, turning the spot into an inviting locale.
“We've had good luck with the agaves,” some striped and some variegated, that they purchased earlier this year from Abby Lee Farms in Sahuarita, Nelson says. He also takes in donated plants from his Casa Paloma neighbors, gives the greenery a good trim or pruning as needed, supplies water, then eventually replants them in the HOA landscape areas when the time is right.
His motto: “Quit babying it, and let it grow.”
A variety of colors, shapes and materials make for an inviting scene.
When buying greenhouse-raised plants, Hanleigh seeks advice from area nursery staff about whether to pamper a plant or put it outdoors right away.
She also loves building dry stream beds in the neighborhood's ReVeg areas with tremendous support from Casa Paloma II neighbors. At a second park in this neighborhood, Hanleigh and Nelson also have built mounds and covered them with gravel and rock, bringing welcome dimension to this site.
Along with blooms, shrubs and cactus, visitors to these new landscapes can take in the artistic touches of colorful bird baths, creative and whimsical ceramic art pieces, rock-lined paths, and inviting benches that top off the enjoyable ambience of colorful manmade and natural delights.
The Casa Paloma II neighborhood is on the east side of La Cañada Boulevard and north of Esperanza Boulevard.
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