Homeowners associations can be famously restrictive across the U.S., but one gardener managed to sneak a native garden right under their HOA's nose.
Celebrating their victory on Reddit, they shared a photo of their garden's HOA-mandated tree, under which they have planted a lush "understory," as they called it, which is essentially a term for small plants at the base of a larger plant.
Each home in their neighborhood is required to have a tree in their front yard, the Redditor explains, because they live in a conservancy.
But the list of accepted trees issued by the HOA includes several non-native species, such as the invasive Bradford pear tree.
To counterbalance this, the Redditor has planted a diverse mix of native plant species, including the common violet, Virginia creeper, and the beech fern.
"Really happy with how the understory of my HOA required tree is looking," they wrote in a caption. "I've managed to squeeze in a variety of natives."
It may feel like a rebellion, but the Redditor is quick to acknowledge that they have a lenient HOA, who are happy to tolerate such a garden.
But others are not so lucky. Multiple homeowners have ended up in disputes with their HOAs over environmentally friendly improvements they want to make to their property, from replacing lawns with wildflowers to installing solar panels on the roof.
Some have managed to push back against such draconian rules. In 2018, two Virginia residents defeated their HOA's demands that they mow their backyard, gaining permission to allow a biodiverse meadow to flourish instead.
Some states are intervening, too. Florida and Illinois have both passed "right to garden" legislation (with Wisconsin likely to follow), which protects homeowners' rights to grow vegetables, herbs, and other plants, even in HOAs.
This means that HOA residents can play their own part in improving their local environment. Plants help reduce the urban heat island effect, for example, by absorbing water from the ground and releasing it into the air as a vapor.
Plants can also help to reduce flooding by absorbing stormwater from the ground — particularly if homeowners sow a variety of plants, as different species are more effective in different times of the year.
With such clear benefits for the environment — as well as the neighborhood's optics — surely sowing more plant beds can only work in every HOA's favor.
"I can't believe you're able to have such a great and varied garden of native with an HOA!" one Redditor marveled.
"I will never understand HOAs and their obsession with making you plant invasive non-native flora," another added. "But your flower bed is gorgeous and, more importantly, native! I salute you."
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
