I know that many of us here are bucking that trend, at least for the purpose of producing edible landscaping, rather than decorative chemical zones. I wanted to ask how many are attempting to redesign even the front of their properties to be more logical and sustainable, and potentially benefit pollinators, birds, and future generations of humans? I would like to see what clever ideas people have come up with, how did they fight with HOA’s.
Thank you
I don’t have an HOA, but I’ve been kicking the idea around in my head to try to work with a lobbyist group to pass State level laws for “The right to grow food”. If you own land, you should be able to grow food on it, period.
If we could start doing that on a more macro level we wouldn’t have to worry about HOA’s or municipal laws requiring certain aesthetics.
I think that is a wonderful idea.
Anything that is not house, patio or walkway has been turned into heavily mulched food forest. Zero grass. I have an almost new electric lawnmower for sale by the way!!
Maryland recently passed a law preventing HOAs from requiring turf grass. NPCC News: Pioneering Maryland Law Stops HOAs from Banning Native Plants OR Requiring Lawns
I called mine when I first moved in because I wanted to take out some big shrubs, and I wasn’t clear what their rules were. They said all they cared about were the trees, and you could do whatever you want in the rest. Which was unexpected since this town is famous for being layers of HOAs. Oh wait, they do they they want planting to look “natural” so they discourage hedge rows. So, plant 3 things in a clump, not a line.
I added a new bed this spring that I’m trying to plant with natives. Just one corner of my lot, but it’s something. Unfortunately, it turned out to be more shady than I expected. As far as the lawn goes, I have to compromise with my husband, and the compromise is he is not allowed to fertilize, but he can keep the grass.
Move. Why have levels of bureaucracy that tell you that you can or can’t paint a fence, plant a garden or even what trees you can and can’t plant. I live in the country, with just local zoning laws that require permits for permanent structures, and my homeowners insurance policy that dictates what I do with my house. That’s it. No PITA neighbors telling me not to plant my 300+ apples, pears, cherries, plums, Peaches and persimmons. No chemicals on the lawn, so i have a mix of clovers, grasses and dandelions that the pollinators seem to love.
If we don’t like the situations that we live in, this is the land of the free, which means we are free to leave and go somewhere else.
“Just move” is an easy answer on the surface, but doesn’t account for all the other factor that go into choice of living situation. Proximity to employment and other quality of life things are important, too. I like the fact I can walk or ride my bike to two small lakes, restaurants, my pharmacy, and two live music venues. I lived on a large lot in a rural county for a few years, and I hated it. Hated not feeling part of a community. Hated having to drive 30+ minutes to get anything.
Well, you can’t have it all. In order to have the convenience of proximity to certain things, you have to give up others. I live in an area that’s 30+ minutes to the nearest department store, hospital and pharmacy. I have to drive to get groceries, supplies and work. Those things I choose to do so that I can live without someone being able to tell me how to live my life.
I would never purchase a home in an area with an HOA. Having to pay fees to have someone set regulations on how I maintain my property sounds like another form of government that doesn’t need to exist.
We all make our choices and value different things in life. And we have those choices. My point was it’s not as simple as telling someone to move, because there are lots of factors that go into the choice.
And, for what it’s worth, I’m in my 3rd HOA neighborhood and none of them have ever been as bad as what they are made out to be.
It’s interesting that you commented that it’s just another form of government. And that is true, it’s exactly what it was. Municipalities were reducing services and some people banded together to provide services, like parks, playgrounds, trash service, pools, etc. Things I like and use, so I choose to live somewhere that I have them. And my front door is teal blue. It can happen 
Moving out of an HOA does not require moving to a rural area.
I’m glad that your expierences with a HOA have been positive. Mine have not. My brother received notices that we weren’t in compliance when I helped him replace old windows with energy efficient windows. After they were replaced, he was fined because he didn’t paint the trim within a certain time period. Seems like they just wanted something to complain about.
Back to the original poster though, what about becoming a HOA board member? Perhaps you could then try to change their minds on certain topics?
i live in a fairly free state and could have a old wrecked car on my front lawn if i wanted to. Not that i would but at least its my choice not some damned bureaucratic association . my lawn was also turned into a food forest with nice strait mulched rows of fruit trees, bushes, groundcover fruit, medicinals, herbs and pollinator friendly flowers. this was all done a little at a time over 8 yrs. and many of them came about from trades with the great folks on here. i did it more for self sustainability and reduced intake of chemicals in my food more than climate change though it does help in a very small way. also helps the natural pollinators. a few weeks ago i discovered humming birds feeding for the 1st time on blossoms of cherry, honeyberry and currants in my yard which i had never noticed in the past. seeing alot more birds nesting here now as well. thats telling me my property is become more critter friendly. every year a family of skunks take up residence under my shed and rid my plantings/ grass of june bug grubs. w3e respect each other. my dogs stay in their fenced in area unless with me. they get meals of grubs and i dont need to spray my grass areas to control them from eating the grass or my plantings. in the evenings the mother and her 4 kits come out under the street lights and shows them how to hunt for them. its funny to watch.
Totally depends on where you are and how much money you have. True in many places, but in the counties surrounding me, it’s gonna be hard.
Everything living stores carbon, and is carbon-based, many things that are not living are carbon-based as well. like diamonds. As things that are living and non living parish all that carbon is released. There are a lot of things that are done to make life easier and better/supposedly better that rushes that release of carbon much faster than it’s naturally released.
we live in town and predate any HOA
I do what I want and I don’t want grass. I’m pretty sure some of the older neighbors are unhappy about it, but eh. the block I’m actually on is a “bad neighborhood” so we all do what we want. it’s lovely. most people are growing something, only the rented houses have lawn. I wish the landlords would make “garden space” a selling point instead of something forbidden.
the old folks here all have gardens and flowers. many doing similar to me just on a smaller scale. its the 30-40yr olds that have the impeccable lawns. the family across the street has tow behind sprayer to fertilize and spray broadleaf herbicides every few weeks. hes due east of me so im sure he doesnt like my dandelions and other weeds sending seed his way. hasnt said anything but i bet hes thinking it. i give them fruit and veggies once in awhile. his wife loves raspberries. i told him id come over with my tiller and make a patch for her. he declined. it would mess up his perfect lines of his lawn.
I wonder if it’s because the younger people are renting. here that’s how it is pretty much; older people own, younger, rent. and landlords won’t let them touch the lawn mostly. much like painting a house door, if you don’t own it it’s gonna be boring
the older people here have these plain lawns with round bushes meatballs along the house wall. a few good old healthy trees have come down in the last ten years to make room for more sod. it’s unpleasant.
the younger people that can garden here do. there’s an elderly Japanese couple two houses down with an incredible tiny orchard and vegetable garden. he’s given me cuttings and starts before and I gave him a bunch of walking onions. most other older folks in my little pocket are kind of lawn addicts I think. they like to mow, to water midday with big sprinklers during the drought months, etc. they don’t like me OR the elderly Japanese couple!
it can be regional too. it’s hard to keep grass green here all summer so it may be just hanging on to an old point of pride for some people, like they want to show that they can do it still.
we get enough rain here we never water the lawns. idk its a pride thing and they like neat square lines. i killed all the grass of my steep ditch near the road and seeded pollinator mix and lupines. the dead grass nourished my seed and now there might be a few weeds in there but you cant tell. them old folks walking by in the morning comment how nice it looks. the younger ones dont say anything. my ditch starts blooming in mid june until frost. its 0 maintenance. i really hate to mow grass. i keep a 12’ x12’ section of it with a picnic table and fire pit for when we have people over. thats enough grass for me.
I’m just confused at times as the basis for all life is carbon. All life on earth would perish without carbon dioxide. Essential for all life. What’s next? The banning of oxygen? One must face all life even the planet itself has a limited lifespan. Of course though one wants to live in a healthy environment. But I don’t see that as a goal but more as a con to control behavior. When the guy telling me to ride a bike flys jets tens of thousands of miles a year. It would take me a hundred lifetimes to equal his carbon footprint. The nerve of some people! Walk the walk before lecturing my ten thousand miles of driving a year. You use more gas to just get off the runway.
Why people keep insisting to lecture me if anything makes me want to burn my used tires. I don’t handle authority well.
I wonder about the compost heap.
They produce quite a bit of methane don’t they?
