One would-be gardener went to Reddit to vent when they learned about the nonsense limitations their homeowners association placed on gardens in their neighborhood.
Besides caring for any shared amenities, most HOAs have rules in place that govern the appearance of the neighborhood. While the idea is to keep property values high for all residents by avoiding eyesores, some HOAs take it too far and cost residents money. They might demand excessive and expensive lawn care or forbid money-saving and valuable home upgrades like solar panels and gardens.
That's what this Redditor complained about in their post. "My HOA says I can't have a vegetable garden," they said. "Flower gardens are fine though."
Commenters were disgusted with the distinction. "Growing veggies are for poor people," said one user sarcastically, adding, "I have no idea other than HOAs like to mess with their members."
"I've been racking my brain for days now," the original poster replied. "The only practical reason I can think is to keep pests or deer away."
True to form, Reddit's anti-HOA community immediately started suggesting ways to get around the rules. "Why not grow a flower you eat?" suggested one commenter.
"Yes! I fully intend to combat these fascist dictators with an herb garden," said the original poster.
Sadly, even that strategy has pitfalls.
"All fruits grow from flowers too. Bananas, grapes, peppers, oranges, tomatoes, squash, etc. I'd read the rules very closely to see what can be gotten away with," said one commenter.
"They are a bit ambiguous, just like every other rule. That's how these criminals operate," replied the original poster. The actual rules, which they shared in another comment, also required approval from the HOA even for an ornamental flower garden — making it difficult to get flowering veggies past the board.
A better option would be to change the overly restrictive rules. Here's how HOA residents can do that by following the association's own procedures.
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