Anyone else out there ever walk out and wonder if your yard garden is too big? You see in back I have nothing but garden.. gardens everywhere... with a few well placed pathways and a very very few little patches of grass to make room for seating... not everyones cup of tea but I have enjoyed makeing it and every year it keeps getting bigger and bigger until this year I have found that I cannot see all my paths and some of my plants are getting rather crowded...
Alright I got the notice from the city... my garden is too big, wildflowers are not landscape and they want to see major improvments in the next week or I will start with the fines... So I have seeds for the wildflowers and will plant them next year in the beds I will keep but the roses, baby trees and little flowers that I cannot gather seeds from yet will have to live out in the grass I will now be building in the yard I guess..
Any one else out there live in a city that cares about your grass to landscape ratio? Any one else been served? Thank goodness most of my plants can be moved with no problem or I have seeds so one year is no loss but there are others... they will have to wait untill winter to get in there and more them to a new home near the yard.
Anyone else out there know how to respind that natives are not landscaping?
When would you take out and move baby shrubs and roses? Dec?
Garden to big?
You are my hero - I wish I had too much yard garden (sometimes I wonder if my vegetable garden is getting too big though).
Is it your city that's doing this or a Home owner's association? I don't live in the city limits (thank goodness), so there isn't anyone to tell me what I can and can't do with my garden (though I could probably use the advice.....) :-)
My city.. my city was called by one of the folks around here saying I did not cut my grass and by grass they mean natives...
oh well.. ..
Thank goodness there is a HOA here but it is no longer anything more then a block Christmas party.
Mitch, you need to get your Native Plant Habitat certification, if you had the plaque they would probably respect that. Also as you know even though I have the habitat and plaque, I keep my front yard clear and neat.
Is it the front, or the back they are objecting to?
Josephine.
It's kind of funny what the HOAs objects to......my neighbor has little 6" flags lined up along the curb and then several flags on 1' stakes around her flower beds and yellow ribbons all around her trees AND a regular sized flag on her porch. I'm all for being patriotic but come on...this is a little over the top.
I would move shrubs Dec - Feb.
Glad I live out in the boonies ...I can put any plant anywhere I want it on this 19.8 acres of land...
the back yard - I have kept the grass in the ft. (my plan was to work on that next) but they have a law we must keep 75% of our area grass... so about half my back yard garden must go (or be converted to "landscape" truth be told I think this means grass in their lingo just with the way he talked...
boonies would be nice...
The city has it backwards. Warning: soap box rant to follow--
The closely mowed monoculture lawn is an unnatural, wasteful human creation. A product of urbanization. These unnatural landscapes require more water, more fertilizer, more maintenance, all resulting in more waste. Not to mention lawn mowers , edgers, and weed eaters ( usually gas powered). In the long run, this is bad for the city and it's inhabitants.
On the other hand, we depend on the city for water, heat, light.....keep them happy with compromise. Did they spell anything out? Anything in particular they wanted? Or did they just say..... we don't like this, fix it, or else.
I might ask to be shown some guidelines or ordinances so that you can comply to your best ability.
75% grass!!!!. What about people with semicircular drives, or swimming pools, or decks?---they clearly don't have 75% of their landscape devoted to grass.
I'd better turn myself in. I live in a N. Dallas zero lot/shared fence semicircular drive, a concrete deck/pool combo=10% grass landscape.
Mitch, 75% grass seem like a lot, but if you have to take some plants out, you could pot some and put them in the shade, then you can use them the best way possible.
That is the plan.. poy what I can to plant later in the remaining beds - or grow in pots in the current yard after all that is still grass right?
BTW Driveways, out buildings, pools and such dont count in the figures. . . with the sides I ahve not touched and the ft almost all there I am close just need to ge the back together.
I have the fence,,, thought it would help but nope.
Have you seen the ordinance in print? I checked out Red Oak's ordinances online and found nothing about the amount of grass required. I did not read all 215 something pages, but I did search terms like "grass," "lawn," "landscape," "landscaping," and "75%." Of course, there could be additional ordinances that I did not find with Google. http://www.redoaktx.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/udc.pdf
The only thing I can find is on...
page 65
Vll.1.3 Planned Development Requirements
A. Development requirements for each separate PD District shall be set forth in the amending Ordinance granting the PD District and may include, but not be limited to; uses, density, lot area, lot width, lot depth, yard depths and widths, building height, building elevations, coverage, floor area ratio, parking, access, screening, landscaping, accessory buildings, signs, lighting, project phasing or scheduling, management associations, and other requirements as the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission may deem appropriate.
page 76
E. All parking, loading spaces, and vehicle sales areas on private property shall have a vehicle stopping device installed so as to prevent parking of motor vehicles in any required landscaped areas, to prevent any parked vehicle from overhanging a public right-of-way line, or public sidewalk. An extra-wide sidewalk on private property may be permitted so as to allow encroachment of vehicle overhang while maintaining an unobstructed three-foot (3) minimum sidewalk width. This requirement shall apply only where spaces are adjacent to the walks, right-of-way, and landscaping on private property. Parking shall not be permitted to encroach upon the public right-of-way in any case.
page 87
SECTION 6 REQUIRED VISUAL SIGHT DISTANCE
IX.6.1 Visual clearance shall be provided in all zoning districts so that no fence, wall,
architectural screen, earth mounding or landscaping three feet (3) feet or higher
above the existing edge of pavement, grade of the street, alleyway or driveway
obstructs the vision of a motor vehicle driver approaching any street, alley, or
driveway intersection.
A. At a street intersection, clear vision must be maintained for a minimum of twenty feet (20) across any lot measured from the corner of the street curb or property line in both directions.
B. At an intersection with an alley, this clearance must be maintained for ten feet
(10).
C. Fences, walls, and hedges three feet (3) in height or less may be located in the visual clearance areas of all districts.
page 135
ARTICLE XVII RESERVED: LANDSCAPE, DEVELOPMENT AND SCREENING REGULATIONS
Blank
I'm wondering if you need to see the Ordinance for your specific PD District ...
I dont know.. they showed me some book and gave me notice. Maybe it is that I live in Dallas Co and not Ellis Co?
Guy next door called it in and did not like the flowers hanging over the side and the guy in back called before too I know - I live with Hank Hills - the lawn is VIP and everything else does not matter to them...
Josephine just told me today, I had missed your thread. Sorry to hear about all of this. Do we need to get up a pot'em up party for you?? We could all bring grass plugs too. Let us know.
Sorry for the meltdown earlier, things like this really strike a nerve. If something is troubling a neighbor, ideally he or she should let you know instead of going behind your back and reporting you to the authorities.
Any thoughts on grass species? Buffalo grass vs St. A vs Bermuda etc.
This would be a really good cause. When you decide what grass type you want, let us know. I'm sure people would be happy to bring you seed/plugs/etc to the round up.
The 75% GFMF (grass for MitchF) campaign.
I don't usually scroll down on the home page, but I did today. I read your article on native plants---great article. We could also bring some extra containers/planters.
The 75% GFMF campaign platform now includes grass and containers. Anything else?
I have pots and have started a pot them up myslef - and I used bricks to make little beds around things to fragile to move... Thank you for the kind offers to help but I am getting it - thank God this happened before school started and I have to be there all day so I can be out in the yard all day everyday and get a lot of things moved around.
On that note any one want no name Iris right now? I mean I could ahve a big bag of them very soon ready for someone... purples, white, yellows, rusts, just about name it and I will have them to give away.. I split my Iris just a few weeks back. Anyway I mowed them over to cut the tops already but they will bounce back fast.
I also have several good sized clumps of Ox Eye Daisy that I will not ahve a place for if anyone wants them too... just let me know and I will get out there and get them dug on the day you want to come by and get them. Very nice plant but I have a large group of them aready and these I had set out between roses (Roses are staying... right now with little brick walls until fall.
Everything else can wait for the RU or I have a little home for them already these just need to find a home - and no freecycle, but you can come get them and post over on freecycle if you want to...
Oh I have several baby nandina too.. I was going to mow over them into the soil - left from the last person who lived here if they are wanted I will dig them up too..
LMK - Mitch
Will definitely try to drive down to Red Oak to help you out. Won't come empty handed. I have some small bags of generic Bermuda and some containers. I have a very busy work schedule and family. Will dmail.
OK I called and talked to the head of the HOA and he said the 75% rules is from the 1980s when this home was built and is tied into the land - HOA or not... found out there are a lot of things tied to that that I had no idea about. Good to know I guess that here at least even if the HOA goes out the rules still stay with the land - does that sound right to any of you?
Good move, communicating with the HOA pres lets them know you are working on the issue. Doesn't sound quite right. Sounds like the HOA is trying to stretchhhhh it's authority here. Has the HOA kept the same management company for all these years?
Yep... sure did...
he also told me the guy who lives behind me is a drinking buddy of the guy who came out and gave me the warning, good to know.
Wow Mitch what bummer! How can people tell you what to do behind you fence? Did you have a fence? I am a little late here as usual.
Yes I have a fence... I will post pics later this week I got a lot of things mowed and moved. Things to move in the fall have bricks around them for now untill fall. So far so good... look strange out there.
What are they doing looking over your fence? I dont know anything about HOA's, but at this rate I rather buy a house in the country.
Any relatives or friends who would provide legal help?
I guess the ruling stays with the land and in hidden in the fine print of the mortgages we sign.
It was a lucky break that the visit came when you had the time to do something. When you get ready to fill in the grass, put the call out and we can help with some I am sure.
Yeah ... we can hang out and see what you have up for grabs! lol Its not funny really. All the time and work you put into it for something like this to happen! Can you get something declaring Texas Natives? Oh gee and I wanted to plant them out front around the stumps! I already get citations every month for not cutting the grass. Can you imagine what would would happen if I planted my natives separate? I guess everything will have to stay where it is.
I think it is in the mortgages - vry sad but what can you do? Sylvia from what I can tell call up whom ever is giving you the warning and ask them if you could make the Ft. a flower bed. Keep it looking neat if they let you and you should be ok.
Thanks everyone - a lot of plants to dig and move but I am getting there almost all the cutting is done and little soil balls move mostly on the 8th. to go with the moon (never tried it before so some in pots now and others in the moon phase to give them an extra shot... )
I believe what you're dealing with is a 'deed restriction'.
http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=235033
http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/tc04/ch23g.htm#23.97
http://recenter.tamu.edu/TGrande/vol7-4/1434.html
http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/deedmain.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-deed-restrictions.htm
And it should have been told to you up front ~ before you agreed to buy the house.
looks like that is it...
so can they ever be changed or are we stuck with it?
'Creating, Changing, Extending Deed Restrictions' http://recenter.tamu.edu/Tgrande/vol7-3/1417.html describes the process.
You might also want to see if there is a time frame associated with the deed restrictions in your area. (Some are indefinite, others aren't.)
Thanks - a lot to read up on and see what I can do.. thank you very good information.
Mitch
wow, i have had them called on me before for not mowing the lawn and growing a mess of tomatoes all over..they said it was for rat breeding, i promise it was for me to eat..anyway hoa's can be a pia... may the force be with you
Hey Mitch, you want us to get a picket line going?? We could have "Natives were here before you",.... "natives are nice",..... "stop and smell the wildflowers",..... "Ladybird would be ashamed of you" ....and on and on...! LOL!
lol - I love it but no. I have a plan to gain a large part of the garden back in time but I am going to have to grow them with natives and those plants they will know are garden plants. It will take more time to get them ready but I think in the end it will be worth it - at least until we get our little dream place going.