Living in a community maintained by a homeowners association has plenty of perks, but when a highway is built practically in your backyard, it can ruin the experience.
However, TikToker Elizabeth (@seedandscribe) shared an exciting update on her plans to plant a "pocket forest" in her HOA neighborhood to block sound and provide a protective barrier.
@seedandscribe Highway is now mostly built. Ive already got many plants in and so much more to go. Before I can do that, I need HOA and town council to sign off. Baby steps but still progress..... #sustainablelandscapedesigner #permaculture #foodforest #pocketforest ♬ original sound - Elizabeth | Seed & Scribe
In the video, Elizabeth showed a nearly finished highway running dangerously close to some homes, which poses a hazard for multiple reasons.
"Except for the top of the bridge, there's no barriers stopping a rogue truck or a tire from going off and into any of these backyards," Elizabeth explained.
While there were trees and a grassy area between the highway and homes, it was still much too close for comfort. Thankfully, Elizabeth is a sustainable permaculture garden designer, so she was the first person neighbors thought of to come up with a solution.
She said that using the Miyawaki method — a planting technique that involves densely packed trees, plants, and flowers in small areas to recreate native forest ecosystems — was the obvious choice for the space.
Not only does this planting technique increase biodiversity, but it also reduces highway noise and air pollution — a win for homeowners and the planet. Elizabeth explained that the particular native species she chose will also aid bird migration.
As she revealed in the video, many trees have already been planted, but there's still a long road ahead.
"I've made amazing progress on these designs. Now I just gotta finish getting the HOA to sign off," she said, noting the town council must also approve.
🗣️ Should HOAs be able to force homeowners to change their yards?
🔘 Absolutely not 💯
🔘 Yes — it's part of the deal 🤝
🔘 Only in extreme circumstances 🏚️
🔘 We should ban HOAs 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
In the comments, Elizabeth said she's been working with local officials to pass a bill ensuring that any homes or parks near highways have pocket forests. If these mini forests are planted throughout the country, it will provide healthy habitats for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, which would benefit humans since we depend on them for our food supply.
Even planting native flowers and trees in your backyard can help wildlife and reduce the time and money you spend on lawn maintenance. Natural lawns require much less water than traditional monoculture lawns, so you'll help conserve resources and lower your monthly bills.
If you don't want to replace your entire lawn, carving out a small section for buffalo grass or other eco-friendly plants can still provide benefits.
"That's awesome to keep it green! Good luck," one TikTok user said.
"This is so cool! The amount of unused space we have on our freeways in mke we could have full on bee and bird [habitats]," another said.
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