Sunday, January 06, 2008

The misadventures of Lowe's

On the left, the modest manufactured homes of retirees in Prescott Canyon Estates. To the right, the denuded hillsides that surround the new Lowe's. Not visible from SR69: the built-up embankment between the big box's parking lot and the lower reaches of the subdivision.

That's where a wall lining the embankment gave way in three different locations, damaging one home. As you can imagine, a major civic hoo-rah has ensued. Inasmuch as we are enjoying another major Pacific storm, I would expect a few more tiles to drop in the next couple of days. But then the experts are presumably working to solve this problem. What about those ugly scars?

There's Lowe's, at the left. I wonder how long it will take for moisture to work other wonders on these barren hillsides. Our dry countryside is not desert -- but local plants are are a slow growing lot and the scattered junipers that the hired landscapers have planted look mighty sparse and lonely up there.

Yet the Lowe's folk could score a cheap public relations coup simply by spending a several thou on California poppy seed and covering those hillsides with blossoms this spring.

A few intense patches of bear grass here and there, interspersed with major plantings of cliff rose, sun flower and Apache plume would help, as would greater generosity in the number of junipers. Just contrast the landscape junipers with those in the untouched hillside below. Oh -- I guess some scrubby little turbinela oaks would fit in this as well.

But do pass the word to the Lowe's landscapers: plenty of California poppy seeds this year. It would cheer everybody up remarkably.

Commentary on Comments: It's always great when a post inspires readers to drop by with their comments. Especially when the subject is highly local -- and the commentators are old-timers who contribute new insights, as is happening to the notes I made about the "Empties on Miller Valley". Scroll down to read the latest! And, BTW, if you've never made a comment, don't be shy -- I'd love to hear from readers in Aliso Viejo and Tampa and Bradner and Las Vegas and Vienna, as well as anyone or everyone else!

7 comments:

quilteddogs said...

That is so ugly. It's definitely a strike against Lowes if they don't do something about it.

Linda G. said...

What a great thought. GJ! Nothing would do better on that scar than the native stuff growing right next to it. And, with all this lovely wet (have I heard rumors of el nina?) it could be a bonanza year for poppies.

When they built those retaining walls along West Gurley, about Pine Lawn on the South side of the street, one colapsed and killed a five year old girl walking home from school. They'd searched for some time before thinking to look under the rubble. It still haunts me..

Granny J said...

QD -- I'd say that Lowe's is already in very deep doo-doo!

brain -- We're certainly getting enough moisture that the poppies would prosper!

Lucy said...

Lovely the thought of the poppies all over that.

Granny J said...

Lucy -- I'd love to think that they corporate folks got my message; I can dream, can't I?

k said...

It never fails to strike me, how absolutely just plain stupid some folks can be.

Your ideas are lovely. And surely, they'd reap far more than the costs to sow...

Granny J said...

k -- you would think so, but I am sure that their landscape-think goes in straight lines. It always does.

 
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