On The Ball- Friendly, Reliable HOA Management

04/13/2026

Huge thanks to Modestbrewco.lv for unintentionally naming a beer after us, and we wish them all the best on their grand opening this weekend!

03/27/2026

This is a great 5-minute listen if you’ve looked at your trees the winter/spring and think they need to be trimmed. Trust a professional arborist about guidance. Many residential landscapers don’t have the training of a certified arborist…but they will still trim your home’s trees! Handle your home’s trees with care.

🔗 Hear the full episode: https://tinyurl.com/4mzkv4j6

Las Vegas arborist Norm Schilling explains how to prune trees for desert wind, why most people remove too much, and how to spot a bad tree trimmer before it's too late.

Here it is, March already, and I'm standing in my garden listening to the wind try to rearrange everything I've spent years putting in place. It's been a strange year so far — temperatures swinging from unseasonably high to bitterly low — but the wind is the one constant. It always arrives in March, and it always makes me think about my trees.

Because trees are structural beings. They don't get to duck inside or brace themselves against a wall. They stand there and absorb every gust, and that wind stress accumulates. Which is why March, for me, is really about pruning — and about understanding the principles that separate good pruning from the kind that can actually destroy a tree.

✍️ Norm Schilling

11/22/2025

What NOT to Prune in November — Desert Southwest Edition ✂️🌿

As we move into the cooler months, some plants are best left alone to protect spring blooms, avoid frost damage, and keep your landscape healthy. Here’s what to skip pruning this month:

🌸 Spring-Blooming Plants (they set buds on last year’s growth)
Crape • Lilac • Wisteria • Texas Mountain Laurel • Chaste Tree • Abelia • Mock Orange

🌹 Roses
Save major pruning for late Jan–early Feb. Light deadheading only.

🍑 Deciduous Fruit Trees
Best pruned in Jan/Feb during full dormancy:
Almond • Apple • Apricot • Cherry • Fig • Nectarine • Peach • Pear • Persimmon • Pistachio • Plum/Pluot • Pomegranate • Walnut • Pecan

🌴 Frost-Tender & Tropical Plants
Wait until after the last frost:
Citrus (all types) • Lantana • Hibiscus • Bougainvillea • Tecoma • Trumpet Vine • Tomatoes • Peppers • Annuals • Fountain Grass

🌲 Evergreen Shrubs & Trees
Only light shaping now — save major pruning for late winter/early spring:
Natal Plum • Hawthorn • Yew Pine • Nandina varieties

✨ Need more help? Visit your local Star Nursery — our team is here to guide you through winter plant care.

11/18/2025

Yay rain!

Take advantage of it by turning off your home’s irrigation timer for at least the next week.

That’s what we are verifying our HOA’s common area landscapers are doing as well.

10/17/2025

10/01/2025

Cooler temperatures are here. It’s a great time to focus on your home’s landscaping.