Who manages our landscaping and irrigation contracts?

Our current landscape contractors are Level Green Landscaping, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and they report to the HOA Management when they are onsite. The contractors are given specific directions including work orders that need to be completed. Management has input from Symphony Village residents, the Board of Directors, and the Landscaping & Irrigation Committee. Most of the work to be done is spelled out in the annual landscape contract signed by both entities.

What is the schedule for landscaping work?

The high-level schedule for landscaping services is posted on the Landscaping and Irrigation webpage. The daily schedule is always subject to changes due to weather, and management often will send out an eBlast announcing upcoming services and/or any weather-related changes.

Can I opt out of Landscape services?

Owners CANNOT opt out of lawn service (mowing, fertilizing, and weed control). Owners CAN elect to opt out of bed maintenance (mulching, weed control, fertilizing, and trimming of shrubs). The opt out signup period begins in November and ends the first week of January EACH YEAR. Once an owner opts out in any given year, the opt out choice will be enforced for that given year. The opt out period for 2023 will begin in November 2022. The deadline to opt out has passed for the 2022 season.

How often can I opt out of landscape services?

Residents may submit one landscape opt out form annually and may not revise the form during the season. This requirement is necessary to allow management and the landscaping contractor to manage service to 395 homes; many landscaping contractors only allow all or nothing.

Why must I accept chemical application or prove that this is being done?

All lawns should be chemically treated to avoid spreading weeds such as crab grass to neighboring lawns. The goal in the future is for the entire community to be treated at the same time. If you choose to opt out of chemical service, you must sign a waiver confirming that service will be completed by you or a preferred contractor. Weeds do not respect property boundaries and control is a community effort. Herbicide labels can be reviewed at the HOA office.

Can I get my own Landscaping Services?

Yes, you are free to hire your own landscaping service. For things like bed weeding and cleanup, you do not need to do anything additional. For personal landscaping services like fertilizing, weed control, and shrub pruning, you need to participate in the opt-out program (see FAQ relative to opt-out). You do not need to opt-out of services for side or rear landscaping that you are responsible for. Note: neither you nor the HOA gets any compensation for opting out of landscaping services which are part of the HOA Landscaping contract.

Can I mow my own lawn?

Yes, you may; however, your lawn will also be mowed by the landscape company, as residents cannot opt out of mowing or lawn services.

Do I need permission before I “landscape” my property?

Yes, but this is really a Covenant Committee question. If you are modifying your exterior appearance, you must apply for architectural modification approval from the Covenants Committee. (see Covenants FAQs). Our landscaping services will provide the contracted care for any changes that you make to your front beds. You are responsible for the care of any landscaping added to the side or back yards. You are not permitted to landscape common areas that may be adjacent to your property.

What is our Irrigation schedule?

Currently the normal irrigation schedule for residential turf is Monday, Thursday, Saturday starting at 4 a.m. and continuing until approximately 8 a.m. The schedule for landscape beds is Tuesday and Friday mornings starting at 6:45 a.m. and lasting about an hour. The schedule for common area turf is Sunday, Tuesday, Friday mornings starting at 5:00 a.m. and lasting until approximately 6:30 a.m. These irrigation schedules may be modified based on the amount of rainfall which is monitored locally in order to conserve water.

When does the irrigation schedule start?

The start of the irrigation season is a joint decision between management, the irrigation contractor, and the irrigation sub-committee. It normally starts early to mid-June and is a function of previous rainfall. The irrigation system is de-winterized and checked out in April for irrigation in early May, if necessary.

Can I view the Landscaping contract?

Yes, click this link to view the contract.

What are residents’ mowing responsibilities?

Residents are responsible for clearing their lawns of furniture, hoses, grandkids toys, etc. just as if you were going to mow the lawn yourself. Things that are difficult to mow around like shepherd’s hooks are discouraged. The landscape contractor is not expected to remove these items and may refuse to mow your lawn.

Are all services included in the landscaping contract?

The landscape contract incorporates specific scheduled services to maintain residents’ lawns and front landscape beds plus the community common areas. There are also priced enhanced services that are in our budget; the board must approve exercising these enhancements as recommended by the Landscaping Committee. The contract includes resident mowing, weed control, front bed edging, front bed mulching, and front bed shrub pruning. The contract does not include over-seeding or aeration of resident properties, resident tree pruning, or mulching/fertilizing/pruning of resident side or rear landscape beds.

What is being done about weeding for the front beds of residents’ homes?

Plant bed weed control is included in the contract with the landscape company. In the spring, both a bed pre-emergent and later a weed killer is applied to the front beds. Afterwards and throughout the season all weeds are to be removed from the beds as they appear. This will be normally completed at the time the grass mowing is performed. Chemical weed control will be used in shrub beds only, when hand removal is impractical.

What if I have a landscaping complaint or suggestion?

If you have any landscaping issues, contact the HOA office or look on the Symphony Village Home Page for a Work Order Request. All Work Order Requests are analyzed, and you should receive a response as to the corrective action taken. Management advises that pictures attached to the Work Order Request form are often very valuable. Note: Management does not monitor nor respond to complaints discussed on ECHOES.

What do I do if there is an issue with a common area tree?

A common area tree issue, such as a swale tree or street tree, should be reported to the HOA office on a Work Order Request form. If it is not already a known issue, management will make sure that the problem is addressed. Please attempt to note the tree tag number on the tree in question, if possible. Management advises that pictures attached to the Work Order Request form are often very valuable.

Can I view the Irrigation contract?

Yes, click this link to view the contract.

Where does our irrigation water come from?

We have four deepwater wells distributed around the community that supply irrigation water. There is no connection to the Centreville water supply. Symphony Village is not billed for the water used; however, the HOA pays for electricity to run the pumps and of course any repair costs.

Do we have unlimited use of our irrigation water?

No, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) limits our water usage to 12 million gallons per year. The permit for this requires that SV report the water usage to MDE twice a year. Management does the reports to MDE.

How is water usage managed?

The Irrigation subcommittee and the irrigation contractor monitor our water usage weekly during the irrigation season and report this usage to the Management team. Symphony Village also monitors local rainfall from three locations in the community, watches the ten-day weather forecast, and provides recommendations for irrigation in the coming week.

Why are some irrigation times longer than others?

Unlike homes, many of the common areas have rotator sprinkler heads. These cover larger areas and have a slower application rate and thus require about twice as much time as resident fixed sprinklers. As it is, the turf cycle takes almost four hours to complete with four pumps working simultaneously for much of the cycle.

Why are we irrigating while it is raining?

The irrigation system has a rain sensor which automatically shuts down the system after sensing ¼” rainfall. Therefore, the action is not instantaneous, and it may be pouring rain and the irrigation system may still be running.

Can we correct over watering between homes?

Overwatering or excessive wetness between homes is a function of several factors. Often the situation exists even before we initiate our sprinkler system for the season. Grading and drainage issues have been common throughout Symphony Village; and the soil just beneath the turf is dense clay. The installation of sprinkler heads between many homes only contributes to the water problem. There is no easy or cost-effective solution to this issue. A Work Order Request, coordinated with your neighbor, may be submitted to alternate sprinkler heads between homes, but this alone may not totally eliminate the problem.

What if I have an irrigation complaint or suggestion?

If you have any irrigation issues, contact the HOA office or look on the Symphony Village Home Page for a Work Order Request. All Work Order Requests are analyzed, and you should receive a response as to the corrective action taken. Management advises that pictures attached to the Work Order Request form are often very valuable. Note: Management does not monitor nor respond to complaints discussed on ECHOES.

How many trees do we have in the community?

A total of about 1,800 trees were evaluated, tagged, and reported by an arborist in 2017. These included street trees and common area trees. In addition, we are responsible for perimeter trees that were also evaluated for problems that might endanger resident property. Some Tree Maps are available on the Landscape and Irrigation Committee webpage, listed under the Trees category.

Do we have an arborist?

The HOA contracted with an arborist to evaluate about 1,800 trees in 2017. There are a number of arborists and master arborists that our community may call on, whenever there are “tree issues” that we need to have assessed. These arborists are employees of the various tree maintenance companies that we hire on occasion. The Landscaping and Irrigation Committee has taken over maintenance of the trees database from our initial arborist, in order to maintain a current and accurate record of all the trees within our community.

Are perimeter trees an HOA responsibility?

Perimeter trees that abut some residences are part of the total Symphony Village land parcel and are therefore HOA responsibility. The HOA management is monitoring perimeter trees for potential danger to resident homes and alleviating any perceived danger. Only Management can deal with any such issues as many of the perimeter trees are part of protected woodlands that require a licensed arborist for any action.

Are we replacing dead trees?

Yes, we are replacing any dead street trees that have been removed. Not all common area trees are being replaced as the developer planted some too close together or selected species that do not do well on the Eastern Shore. Tree replacement is expensive, and the board needs to approve any such action recommended by the Landscape and Irrigation Committee.

What trees are acceptable to be planted in common areas?

A subcommittee of Landscape and Irrigation Committee generated an Approved Resident Tree List that are suitable to be used for planting or replacements of trees in the Common Areas. This list consists of trees that do well on the Eastern Shore. The recommendations include consideration for mature height and invasiveness of roots. This list is displayed on the Landscape and Irrigation Committee webpage, listed under the Trees category for information only. Residents must remember that only the Landscape and Irrigation Committee is permitted to recommend changes to trees in Common Areas and all work is done only after Board of Directors approval.

What trees are acceptable to be planted on residents’ lots?

The Approved Resident Tree List for residential property is updated and maintained on the Landscape and Irrigation Committee webpage, listed under the Trees category, where an icon is provided for accessing this information. There are also lists of the Recommended Shrubs and Perennials for residents to consider when planning changes to their residential property in SV.

Why is my tree(s) not on the Approved Resident Tree List?

The Approved Resident Tree List only applies to new trees or replacements for dead trees. The list includes factors that were not necessarily considered by the builder or the previous Architectural Requirements. You do not have to remove any existing trees, even though they may no longer be listed on the Approved Resident Trees List.

What shrubs and perennials are acceptable to be planted on residents’ lot?

Recommended Shrubs and Native Perennials for residents to consider when planning changes to their residential property in Symphony Village are posted on the Landscape and Irrigation Committee webpage, along with the approved trees.

How are we controlling tree diseases?

The Landscaping and Irrigation Committee deals with disease threats on a case-by-case basis. The biggest issue has been Emerald Ash Bore which has invaded the Eastern Shore. The community has over 60 Ash trees even though they weren’t a very good choice by the builder. The board approved emergency funding for an initial treatment in 2017. We continue to treat for Emerald Ash Bore every three years and will continue until the disease is no longer a threat in this area.

Who manages the ponds?

HOA management hires a professional pond management company to monitor and treat our three ponds. These ponds are part of the Centreville stormwater management system and any actions must be approved by local government. The HOA is financially responsible for the three ponds including maintaining their integrity for stormwater management. All Symphony Village oversight of these ponds is performed by our Management team.