Armed with the authority to protect property values, municipal enforcement officials across the country respond to neighbors’ complaints by enforcing landscaping, blight, and zoning ordinances, forcing gardeners to dig up their plants and dismantle support structures, or face hefty fines or jail time.
Much like the backyard chicken debate a few years ago, the front-garden debate is forcing municipalities to revisit their ordinances to better balance homeowner rights, property values, aesthetics, nutrition, and sustainability. For example, Sacramento’s zoning code was amended to allow properly tended fruit and vegetable front-yard gardens. Similarly, Orlando is considering ordinances allowing vegetable plants to cover as much as 60% of a front yard, if set back at least three feet from a property line.
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Photo from New York Times
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