Florida couple's front-yard garden legal after 6-year battle

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Florida couple’s front-yard garden legal after 6-year battle

By MARCUS LIM
July 2, 2019

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. (AP) — A Miami-area couple whose front-yard vegetable garden prompted a 6-year legal battle with their village has held a ceremonial replanting of veggies under a new Florida law legalizing such gardens statewide.

Sixty-three-year-old Hermine Ricketts and her 60-year-old husband Tom Carroll planted jalapenos, green bell peppers and other vegetables on Monday when the bill went into effect. Miami Shores previously made such front yard gardens punishable by a daily fine of $50 on grounds they were unsightly and violated zoning codes.

Miami Shores told Ricketts to remove her garden in 2013, prompting their lengthy lawsuit. An appeals court backed the village, but then the Legislature stepped in to legalize the gardens.

Republican state Sen. Rob Bradley sponsored the bill.

https://apnews.com/f72c9b32e20a4f049977a66ffbbef48a

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Duly noted that a REPUB did something decent and helpful for a change....

[hibbing]

2. Good for them

There are battles here when people try to transition from a traditional lawn to native plants that do not fit in with the monotony of lawn grass. I have not run into into problems as of yet, but my front is still pretty traditional, I'm transitioning to sedges and other natives. However, I do know people that have had a representative of weed control for the city come to inspect their property after complaints. I'm glad I do not have an HOA or I probably would have never been able to do what I am currently doing.


Peace

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Several years ago I removed all of my turf grass and planted shrubs and flowers,

mostly native plants. I was helped by a specialist in permaculture, meaning the plants were chosen to complement and help each other (for example, I planted Baptisia, a legume, next to the fruit trees). As the plants grew and filled in they crowded out most of the undesirable plants, so I don't even have to do a lot of weeding - although that very annoying creeping bellflower keeps turning up. The city hasn't given me any trouble - this is something that seems to be catching on around here - but my next-door neighbor has been a total dick about it, and even went so far as to spray Round-Up on the plants along the property line two summers ago, killing a couple of shrubs and a small tree. Lawyers got involved so there haven't been any problems since, but he made it obvious from the beginning that he objects to my "wild-looking" lawn. Too bad.

This morning when I went out to get the newspaper I saw a monarch butterfly and a tiger swallowtail butterfly and dozens of bees on the monarda and the purple coneflowers. Made my day.

[hibbing]

4. Awesome

My monarda finally got done blooming, but while they were blooming there were a ton of bees all over them. I am now also seein g a lot of tiger swallowtails.

Do you trim down your monarda in the spring so they stay more bushy and do not get as tall?

Peace

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. I don't trim the monarda, though I probably should.

This year they're unusually tall. Some of them are about used up so I should start deadheading them pretty soon. I really like watching all the different kinds of bees that visit them.