If you dare to attempt keeping a garden...

Then your local government may try to stamp you into the ground for it.

Valerie Herrmann and her boyfriend Eli Bajalia have lived and worked in Arlington for almost two years, and in that time they’ve turned their home into a living, breathing display of Permaculture principles at work....

Well, that was until Aug. 2, when local
regulators said otherwise. Š e property, located
at 5708 Milmar Drive N., was cited that day
for multiple violations of Chapter 518.202 (1)
of the Jacksonville Ordinance Code, which
prohibits “Nuisance vegetation”

Full article

Luckily these two knew what they were doing, and knew the letter of the law as well as they did their gardening and got everything dropped. That might not always be the case though. Those in charge are just going to continue to try to uphold the staus quo of grocery stores and monsanto. Yay.

(Mods: if this is in the wrong place, I apologize. I couldn't find a "food" forum.)

reply to post by RedGod


I would bet that someone was jealous, or more than likely thinking to themselves, "Hippies! I bet that they're growing something else there as well!"

Good for these two, fighting stupid laws and winning.

I just wish I had the means to do so as well as them. Ya have to have greenhouses up north here.

I live in a really nice mobile home park in east San Diego. I have a nice size yard and beautiful view. A landscaper told me that I had exceptionally fertile soil and that I should grow some vegetables.

Well, technically thats against the by-laws, but I did it anyway.

Now I know why it's against the by-laws. When the veggies started to ripen I had too many uninvited guests, that ate everything anyway. Skunks, raccoons. moles. opposum, rats, field mice, and crows have convinced me to shop at local farmer's markets.

the fining for 'eclectic' gardening or any gardening that stands out seems to happen all the time

what happens most the time is stuck up rich people (think of wanna be elites) on the block have a set way they want to block to look, especially front yard (ie, 99% lawn, and a few evergreen neatly pruned, only)

the problem is, LAWNS ARE THE MOST DAMAGING TO THE ECOSYSTEM

yet they are part of the 'american dream' and 'pride of home ownership' when in reality the house with the 'greenest grass' on the block is almost always the one using the most gas, the most pesticides, the best artificial fertilizers with runoff, irrigation, etc etc.

whilst 'overun vegetation' like having veggies and tall flowers in your front yard is considered the most unsighly to curb appeal and block associates, and clean the air the most, creates shade for itself so u need less water, etc etc

its akin to the FDA punishing people for going au naturale than chemical, really.

reply to post by windword


Nature is wonderful. What was your problem? I live in a city with a huge garden, veggies in the front yard too. We share with nature, plant even more. Almost an half an acre. More will be planted next year. Including herbs and flowers.

Plan on starting indoors soon.

Wlll do so anywhere even out of trailer on the back of a truck, would find a way.

reply to post by Unity_99


My problem was my garden was attracting too many animals. They get bold and terrorize my pets, wander into the house through the pet door, and eat all the vegetables I'm trying to grow.