The antilawn movement is growing, with an increasing number of people opting for native, low-maintenance lawn alternatives instead of traditional grass.
However, ditching the lawn can be a legitimate challenge with the neighbors if you live in a suburban neighborhood with a homeowners association.
In a recent Reddit post, one homeowner shared a concern about wanting to get rid of a lawn on a giant corner lot but in a way that wouldn't make the neighbors reactivate an inactive HOA.
"What I would like to do is plant a couple trees, a lot of shrubs, bushes, some grasses, and some raised beds for flowers and veg," the homeowner wrote. "And then paths between and around. But I don't know how to deal with all these utility lines."
The homeowner described how the gas main from the street runs along the edge of the property and pitched to followers of the r/NoLawns subreddit: "I'd like to know how other people managed similar situations."
The other issue is that the homeowner's property is part of an HOA established around 20 years ago but has never been active. The original poster worried that a massive lawn conversion could trigger neighbors to revive the HOA and take action against the project.
Fortunately, there are civil and effective ways to overcome HOA resistance and make sustainable changes to your yard that support your budget and the planet.
For example, you can get your property certified as a wildlife habitat, find loopholes to install solar panels, and take legal action to fight unreasonable bans that conflict with common-sense cost-saving and environmental benefits.
Redditors shared their tips and advice with the homeowner in the comments.
"I'm actually just paying a local native landscaper to do this, he has a whole process," one Redditor wrote. "Once that portion of lawn is converted, I'll only have to mow like 3x per year."
"Fir trees take up a lot of space when mature," a Redditor suggested. "Our lot is ringed with them and I love the privacy and wildlife they attract."
"Put in a pond," was another suggestion.
Another Reddit user added: "You probably want to talk to a lawyer upfront. You can maybe get a tax break depending on how you go about doing this, too."
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