Lots of people are discovering the beauty and simplicity of installing and maintaining a wild garden, but doing so comes with a risk.
A homeowner near Pittsburgh found this out the hard way after receiving a letter from a local inspector declaring that their native plant flower bed was in violation of a city code concerning weeds.
Reaching out on Reddit, they asked other gardeners for advice about the violation as they believed that their native plants could be exempted as they were planted on purpose and had not grown tall because of negligence. However, the homeowner was also worried that because the plants were over 6 inches in height, they might be in violation of the code.
"I'm here to ask what routes I have available to me to establish whether or not my garden is exempted by the language of the ordinance," the original poster wrote.
Lots of people were ready to offer advice and suggested that the OP should look at getting their native plant garden certified as a vital pollinator habitat by Penn State University. This certificate is available to all Pennsylvania residents who meet certain criteria.
Providing habitats that use native plants and no pesticides is really important for supporting declining pollinator populations. Supporting pollinators — such as birds, bees, and butterflies — is not only important for conserving biodiversity but also for people. We rely on these animals to pollinate a lot of the fruits and vegetables that we grow and eat.
Watch now: AITA for refusing to pay my HOA for destroying my garden?
Commenters on this post suggested that the OP call their city council and get clarification on the matter.
One commenter wrote: "You need to call whatever agency issued the warning and straighten it out with them."
Another added: "There should be an appeal process, if not you go to the city council and make hay of this in a public forum."
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Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?
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