A homeowner was left feeling frustrated after a lawn maintenance company destroyed their emerging native plants.
Taking to the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, the homeowner shared their dismay at the landscaping company that had cut half their native plants right as they were emerging for spring. The native plants included Gregg's blue mist, Mexican bush sage, and some sedge species.
The original poster explained that the misunderstanding had occurred because they were having their fence replaced, and the backyard was left exposed at the time the lawn maintenance was blowing leaves and mowing lawns within the community.
The OP shared several pictures that showed the devastating turn of events. "HOA supports my frustration," they wrote. "I am going to take the opportunity to educate the landscaper and point out the issue!"
Fortunately for the OP, the homeowners association supports their frustration, but this is not always the case. There have been increasing reports of HOAs preventing homeowners from making eco-friendly, money-saving upgrades to their properties, such as installing solar panels or planting native plants. Not only would these upgrades help people save money on their bills, but they can also help conserve resources and reduce the amount of dirty energy used within our homes.
Native plants are a great way to conserve water and reduce the money spent on the expensive fertilizers that are often required to maintain a traditional, monoculture lawn. Native plants also provide a number of benefits to the environment, such as supporting pollinators, and are also used in rain gardens to provide natural protection against flooding.
Talking to HOAs about situations like these can be a great way to get a conversation started that can help to change their rules to accommodate money-saving, eco-friendly upgrades.
Commenters on this post shared the OP's frustration, especially around the landscaping company's lack of knowledge on native plants.
"I don't know if it's ignorance or willful ignorance, but you really have to hold people's hands when it comes to this stuff," one person wrote.
Another said: "That's unacceptable."
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