front-yard gardens?

I just read a good article in the Sacramento News & Review. It is here:

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I was wondering (after reading that article) if there was any legal restrictions to growing fruits, veggies, & other crops in one's front yard in Sacramento County? What about eliminating a lawn in favor of such ideas?

So what have you grown in favor of a green lawn?

Reply to
Ablang
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I'm pretty sure that in CallyForKneeia growing cannabis takes precedence over growing lettuce.

Reply to
brooklyn1

Let us know what you find out when you call your county office tomorrow (Monday).

Weeds, nicely mowed.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

Down south in Ventura County, my front "lawn" is pink clover (Persicaria capitata), a ground cover that is not actually a clover but has clover-like pink flowers. It doesn't need mowing and will survive (almost thrive) with reduced watering.

Several years ago, a house on a neighboring street had a vegetable garden in front, including corn. I didn't hear any adverse comments.

Fortunately, neither my tract nor that tract had a mandatory owners' association that could control the street-side appearance of a house. About 2 miles away, there is a tract where you can't even plant a rose bush in front without approval from the tract's architectural review committee, which will want to know the color of the flowers and the height of the bush.

Thus, not only should you check with your local municipality (city or county, depending on whether you are in an incorporated area) but also the CC&Rs on your property. The CC&Rs will indicate if an owners' association has any say over your front yard.

Reply to
David E. Ross

Jangchub wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

lucky! my neighbors, when i lived in Manchester NH, called the police on me *all the time* about my gardens... well, the first time it was about my dogs because i took them out during a hurricane. sorry lady, but the dogs needed to go & they don't go in the house (i had a Borzoi & a Shepherd/Lab at the time. not rug rats). i was out with them. but she called & filed an animal cruelty complaint... then she complained i had rats in my compost pile. i had a *possum* living under my shed. she hated my combination vegetable/cottage garden in the front yard. the police finally got so tired of her complaints over nothing they told her if she called about me one more time, they'd arrest *her* for wasting their time. i can't say i miss her now that i've moved away ;) lee

Reply to
enigma

snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I don't know about Sacramento, but many cities actually encourage homeowners to convert their lawns to native plants, xeriscaping and edible gardens by paying them a benefit for the cost of lawn conversion. Examples of lawn conversions in San Jose, San Rafael and other cities are identified in the Ergonica Lawn Conversion site. If you search for "lawn conversion" you will easily find this site and many other relevant sources.

I suggest homeowners should contact their local city or county elected officials to see if there is a support structure of some kind locally. Perhaps your councilperson will sponsor a local ordinance or plan to encourage lawn conversions?

It's all about grass roots politics, but without the grass.

Once upon a time, I remember when I used to enjoy mowing the lawn. No lawn now. Better things to do.

Reply to
raycruzer

Interesting thread. I frequently visit what in Australia amounts to a city (about 300,000 people). I do deliberate detours so that I can drive past what I call in my head "ethnic gardens". I now know the locations of a lot of them and can do a detour to any area I'm going to just to follow progress.

These gardens are generally smallish blocks of about a quarter of an acre and are owned by older Greek and Italian migrants who waste not an inch of soil in growing food. Features of these gardens include: figs/walnuts and fruit trees on the nature strip, pergolas covered with grapes (often near the houe/over pathways or over a cantina in the back yard where the bulk food preservation seems to go on). Every vegetable imaginable is grown for whatever season it is and harvested and then replanted with whatever follows for the coming season. I love these gardens as find them so much more itneresting tht the houses around them with the more 'traditional' mix of shrubs and flowers.

After 20 yeras of perving on these gardens I'm always upset when I realise that the old people have moved on and their gloriously productive gardens are destroyed by new owners who come in and do 'landscaping'.

Reply to
FarmI

I know several people that planted fruit trees in their front yard. In California it can draw tree rats (I used to see them when I lived in Downey, CA). My brother planted apples and pears--it would draw yellow jackets, make a mess. The fruit was also a tripping hazard, infested with worms, so he removed the trees. I'm in favor of keeping the frontal property in respect of the neighborhood.

Reply to
Phisherman

Isn't America fussy!

Here in New Zealand we are down a right of way, so can be as untidy as we like - for now. But we are about to be amalgamated into Auckland City, so watch out.

This year the grass got away on me and was waist high before I could chop it down with the weed eater and mow it. It made a nice crop of hay for the birds' nests though, and the wild birds loved the seeding grasses.

Our citrus trees are now about 35 years old and cropping well.

Our Korean neighbours have a huge house on a tiny section, but every inch of ground grows some kind of crop in little beds.

And one family near here had a first crop of potatoes in the front garden, in a new development. But when they put a lawn in the next year it was beautiful. They say potatoes are a good first crop though.

Reply to
Geopelia

We are making progress. Sixty years ago the deed restrictions in southern California weren't for lawns, but for Jews.

Reply to
Billy

Can I plant a vegetable garden in my front yard?

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You may wish to research further... but that is the website. I appears there are no garden restrictions.

Not leaving there, but in Atlanta, most people here grow a variety of plants, like Japanese Grass, Dandelion and Poke Salad,purslane, hawkweed, and try to keep it mowed to about 2 inches. Not sure what real grass is supposed to look like. Never liked lawns myself, and don't have one.

I believe there are a number of readers in this group from your rough area who can advise.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago

Reply to
dr-solo

Try Corona del Mar.

Reply to
Billy

Restrictions on what can be planted in a front garden will vary from municipality to municipality and according to any covenants or restrictions associated with a specific development and the homeowners board, if any. Check to see if any of these apply in your area.

On another gardening group I participate in, this question comes up often. For various reasons, homeowners are opting away from chemical consuming, time consuming and water consuming lawns in favor of other, more environmentally conscious plantings. Edible gardens are only one alternative. You might want to Google the term 'potager', which is a formalized, ornamental and edible garden common in much of Europe but gaining popularity here in the US. If well planned, these can be a very attractive front yard lawn alternative.

And because much of California is under a prolonged drought with watering restrictions widespread, limiting the amount of lawn one must tend is often encouraged. There are all manner of alternative, drought tolerant plantings that combined with well-designed hardscaping eliminate the need for any lawn at all, especially in the front. In my area, which features tiny, postage stamp-sized front gardens in the more urban areas and summer drought conditions, lawns in the front are considered a waste of space and resources and are often removed. I've done countless landscape designs for just these situations. My own front yard in my old garden had NO lawn.......just some wide paver pathways to accomodate traffic and the rest was filled with plantings, mostly shrubs, perennials and groundcovers.

It's not exactly Sacramento, but Rogers Gardens in Corona del Mar sponsors a California Friendly gardening contest that features low water use gardens, often focusing on front yards that have little, if any, lawn involved. These could certainly be a source of inspiration on how to convert your front garden to a no-lawn planting.

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Reply to
gardengal

Potage is French for soup. Potager is a kitchen garden. Château Villandry is probably the highest form of this art.

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Reply to
Billy

Cat's out of the bag, in public eye now. You can expect the local home owners associations in each part of the country creating new rules for your front yard garden, that is, if they even allow it. Its all a matter of local prevailing opinon of each local home owners associaton. This could be funny, ludicrous, and anal all rolled up in one. All will make up reasons as they go along for their rulings to suit each local HOA opinions. I'll keep my comments about that mum.

Reply to
Dioclese

No restrictions here north in Butte County. My lawnless (not lawless) front consists of

To the right of the drive is a border of native plants/low shrubs with accents of a 25 yr old crepe myrtle and a trident maple grown from a seed. No water or maybe once a month

The larger area to the left of the drive is anchored at the four corners with a very large Viburnum tinus, a western Redbud, a Loropetalum, and an arbor/arch with a climbing rose. Along the front of the house are the plants that get water regularly: camellias, azaleas, daylilies, columbine, abutilon, among others. Water twice a week.

Along the front/sidewalk between the Loropetalum and the Redbud are also drought tolerant plants/natives with volcanic rocks making slightly raised beds. In the center is a brick circle with a brick pathway leading in to it.

Emilie NorCal

Reply to
mleblanca

That sure sounds like a big restriction to me... what do they mean by "maintain it"?

Reply to
brooklyn1

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