Re: Turf War Blooms Over Front-Yard Vegetable Gardening

[David Hare-Scott]

> But noticeably absent is anything considered by Miami Shores to be a > vegetable. That's because earlier this year, after tending her garden > for 17 years with nothing from the neighbors but compliments, Ricketts > was ordered to dig up her veggies. > She says she was surprised several months ago when a zoning inspector > stopped by. > > "He told me I was not allowed to have vegetables in the front yard," > she says. > > Under a zoning ordinance tightened last spring, residents in Miami > Shores are not allowed to have vegetable gardens in their front yards. > In August, Ricketts went before the town's code enforcement board to > protest, but board chairman Robert Vickers was less than sympathetic. > > The board ruled the vegetables must go. The zoning inspector told > Ricketts which plants she had to pull up. She complied, but wasn't > done with her fight.

Home of the brave, land of the free.......

D

[Brooklyn1]

Where rules are established to serve the majority. Miami Shores is an association with many rulz... if you don't like rulz don't live there, couldn't be simpler. There are plenty of places to live where one may plant crops in their front yard. And in fact Miami Shores permits vegetable gardens in rear yards... search :

[songbird]

...

when you live in a city or any other type of more formal community you end up having to live within some limits.

the problem i have with many lawn regulations is that they are selectively enforced and as the article states are usually done in response to complaints being filed and not in a uniform manner across the community. that makes them too easy to be abused.

there was a similar article in the paper a while ago about a lady who went through her entire yard and made sure it was documented that each plant was edible or medicinal/herbal and the city still sent people to rip up her gardens even in spite of the fact that she was following the regulations to the letter.

bullying doesn't just happen in schools...

now imagine in the other direction, in a community where water is scarce and everyone but one person's yard has been converted to xerascaping, do you think that one remaining person isn't going to get some grief?

songbird

[mj]

My gardens are in the front yard. Never even thought it would be a problem. I live in a community with covenants and all that too. Maybe I should check although I won't change anything. MJ

[Gus]

I see an occasional front yard garden here, not very often. When I see one, I think: good for that person! They are making good use of the space instead of having some unnaturally deep green chemically treated lawn.

[Brooklyn1]

Most HOAs employ a landscaping service that mows, fertilizes, treats for weeds, maintains the automatic sprinkler system, and the shrubs/trees... everyone pays for this in their association dues and everyone is made aware of the rulz before they buy. Some associations are more strict than others and some residents are more slovenly than others. Most don't want to see someones junkyard vegetable garden right out front, and I've seen plenty in front yards of private homes that were actually a hidious weed patch, and that is why HOAs have rulz. Most HOAs don't mind if a residant plants a few vegetables amongst the foundation shrubury but they won't permit digging up the front yard. Many HOAs maintain very nice community gardens for the residents. The thing is before buying an HOA carefully read and understand the bylaws, it may not be for you, I know it's not for me... and that's why I live on many acres in a very rural area... I can grow as many veggies as I like anywhere on my property (my 2,500 sqft veggie garden is actually too big for me), I can keep livestock too; poultry, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, even llamas and many of my neighbors do. And still there are zoning ordinances as to how many of each kind of animal per acre and how they are to be housed. No matter where one lives there are rulz. Bottom line is without seeing the vegetable garden in question it's impossible to make other than wild speculations... but the rulz clearly state "No vegetable gardens in the front yard". I'd speculate it's an eyesore or no one would have complained.

[Frank]

Making use of partially buried old tires is gauche.

[Gus]

In the story, she said she has had one for 17 years, and got compliments on it. Until this year. There was a pic in the original story online that showed it looked well kept.

The best tomato plant I had this year was on the front side of my house amongst some small holly bushes, basically the front yard. The ones in the back were pitiful this year.. The one near the front of the house grew like a beanstalk and produced some great heirloom tomatoes, which the squirrel enjoyed. But I did get a dozen or so for myself too... There was a perfect tomato that I was all excited about and watched a few days. It was big and round and looked juicy and bright red. I picked it, and as I did I felt a gaping hole in the back, and when I turned it around and looked at it there was a squirrel sized mouthful missing.

[David Hare-Scott]

The principle that society is entitled to make rules for its collective betterment that may disadvantage some individuals is not in dispute.

The point that you have missed is the ridiculous scope and impossibility of clear definition of the rules that some people believe they are entitled to foist on to others. There are some rules that should not be made because the test that the betterment of society exceeds the loss of individual freedom is not met. There are some that should not be made because defining them unambiguously and enforcing them equitably is not possible. This one is both.

For a country whose public mythos features freedom of the individual very strongly there seem a great many who are ready to declare that you may be as free as you like as long as you agree with *their* way of life and *their* view of right conduct. This is a good recipe for a conformist authoritarian society which those same people spend their energy railing against. How do they justify such illogical behaviour? Simple. They are right and the rest are wrong so everybody shut up and do as you told. Or as you put it, if you don't like it move away.

D

[Gus]

I wish you were one of my senators. Lucky me is "represented" by Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul.

[Brooklyn1]

You sound like a moron, which is what you are.

[David Hare-Scott]

Why is it that whenever somebody disagrees with you the first thing you do is offer insult and the last thing is rebuttal? It seems that you are not capable of producing a reasoned argument or stating any facts in support. But it's your right to make yourself a horse's arse internationally.

D

[Gus]

I think he comes from the same school of "comedy/entertainer" as Rush Limbaugh.