Growing a sustainable, pollinator-friendly garden can support native plants and animals while beautifying your home. However, some city property codes disagree.
As Pittsburgh City Paper reported, a homeowner named D.S. Vale received a letter that his garden violates the city of Pittsburgh's code. The code states "premises and exterior property shall be maintained free from weeds or plant growth in excess of 10 inches. Noxious weeds shall be prohibited."
However, Vale said, "the letter didn't tell me which plants were a problem or how to correct things. The lack of clarity around specific problems was surprising to me."
The photos in the news article depict stunningly beautiful and well-maintained blooms reminiscent of a prairie.
News stories like this are troubling as homeowners across the country are moving away from traditional, grass-centric lawns.
These city codes are designed to address abandoned and neglected properties that aren't being cared for. However, intentionally designed wild yards are ecologically superior to resource-draining grass that contributes to habitat loss, toxic pesticide exposure, and stormwater runoff.
Unfortunately, outdated laws still promote monoculture lawns and discourage homeowners from switching to natural lawns because of fears of citations, fines, and legal action.
Fighting the established system requires substantial time, money, and passion. However, media coverage and public advocacy normalize nontraditional lawns and spread the word about their benefits.
Fortunately, some cities are starting to discourage grass lawns and have shown a willingness to drop complaints similar to the one Vale received when homeowners provided adequate explanations and justifications for their gardens. Even more hopeful, some city leaders have expressed interest in changing outdated laws to enable homeowners to update their spaces while improving native habitats and controlling stormwater runoff.
"My garden is a reflection of my interests, not an external sign of success," said Vale. "Part of growing something other than a lawn is showing others what else is possible."
"This is a silly piece of code," one Facebook user commented on the story. "Just growing and maintaining grass yards is a waste of human time."
"Kill your lawn, plant natives, support biodiversity, stop using pesticides and herbicides, save fuel," wrote another Facebooker. "Birds, bees, butterflies, bugs, bats are all vital to our survival. Also, not having to mow is fabulous."
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