A proud resident of Northern California has been boasting about their "mini food forest" in their front yard, while also taking a jab at homeowners associations.
They posted a picture of their lush, colorful space to the r/NoLawns subreddit, noting that they had grown basil, zucchini, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and pumpkins, among a host of other veggie delights, in their small patch of paradise.
"I put in a raised garden bed, planted an apple tree and sprinkled a packet of wildflowers around the perimeter of the garden bed to attract bees," they said "It worked beautifully and this summer we had a mini food forest."
They couldn't resist a comment about HOAs, too, observing that many of these strict organizations would never allow such a thing.
"To think, an HOA would think grass is better," they remarked.
The picture drew plenty of admiring comments, with one Redditor saying, "My kind of garden! Beautiful!" and another adding that it is an "Amazing use of a smaller space!"
HOAs have received a lot of bad press in recent years because of seemingly draconian rules. With the organizations' goals being to ensure house prices remain strong and that the community is kept orderly, among other things, an insistence on lawns rather than thriving plants and vegetables has been one of the major bugbears for a number of residents.
But lawns require a lot of upkeep to ensure they remain green and growing. Furthermore, in places like California that experience regular drought conditions as a result of global heating, wasting water on keeping grass healthy is a serious drain on a valuable resource.
Planting fruit and vegetables is a much better — and, eventually, tastier — way to add color to a garden and to make the most of outdoor space. Meanwhile, according to the Mayo Clinic, gardening is a great way to exercise, can help reduce stress, and can encourage a more healthy diet.
As another alternative to traditional monoculture lawns that require plenty of water and a lot of maintenance, clover lawns are a low-maintenance, low-water, drought-resistant solution to add a bit of color to a yard in times of drought.
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