Crazy Eyes by Ardyii
When it comes to making changes in your own back yard, who’s yard is it anyway? For some of us there are so many rules and regulations, it’s enough to drive you crazy!
I might have mentioned that I’m busy doing a redesign of my back yard. I’m working with Rachel of Successful Garden Design. Rachel is wonderful to work with, but the garden design process is fun and frustrating at the same time.
Garden Design is Hard
I’ve been known to say before that garden design is hard. There are so many factors to consider. My conversation with Rachel yesterday included a discussion of all the rules and regulations I need to be aware of when planning my back yard landscape.
Rules and Regulations
As a homeowner you may face rules and regulations about what you can plant, where you can plant it, what type of walls you can use, what materials are allowed, how you direct water from your landscape, heights of decks and steps, where you can put your compost heap, how far your deck needs to be from the boundary with your neighbors, whether you can hang laundry outdoors, where you can store your garden equipment, and if you can keep livestock.
Who Writes the Rules?
I have to admit that I’m still a bit confused about where to even check for the rules. I know that my local city is the place to go for a building warrant and rules regarding retaining walls, decks, steps, fencing, and structures. In my city livestock is not allowed (no chickens, goats, or ducks for me).
Surprisingly, when I checked with my city the one thing there were no regulations about were tree houses. I hope it stays that way!
Who Controls How Your Yard Looks?
Homeowners associations sometimes restrict what can be grown, with rules about “weeds” and the look of your yard. One of my friends tells me that she’s not allowed to grow vegetables because all landscaping has to be decorative, or some such wording. Edible landscaping might allow her to circumvent the rule – I’m sure it’s open to interpretation.
I know I read somewhere, once, that I’m not allowed to dry laundry in my yard, but I’ve been unable to track down where I read this. I think this restriction may be in my title deed, of all places.
Are there any irritating rules and regulations with regard to what you can do in your own back yard or front yard landscape? What’s the worst rule you’ve heard of?
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I am not allowed to grow vegetables in my front garden, I am not allowed the grass to grow over a certain height, not allowed to grow trees over a certain height. Here’s the silly one – not allowed to have a car or a van that has advertising on it on your driveway if its yours – it can only be someone calling or visiting the house – noone takes any notice of this one around here!
As for the back garden – restricted to how many cats and dogs allowed and no chickens allowed and Not allowed to move the position of the washing line. I am sure there are more but its so long since I saw the deeds.
My brother’s homeowners’ association cited him for putting a shed in the backyard because the roof material didn’t match that of his house! On the other hand, several of my clients live in a neighborhood that requires new landscaping to have at least 75% native plants, so there’s an upside to the madness!
Jenny ´s last blog ..Here, Fishy Fishy!
Rosie, your rules are remarkably similar to mine, except that I’m not allowed a washing line. How surprising that you have these rules in Scotland! Thanks for visiting.
Jenny, I love the rule of at least 75% native plants. That’s a GREAT rule. I wonder how many homeowners hate it though.
A lady in the UK told me yesterday that she lives in an area that forbids vegetables to be grown in the front garden. She does live quite close to a national park though. Thankfully we don’t usually have anywhere near the restrictions you guys do.
I live in a neighborhood that has a no clothesline rule. I get around it by using clothes drying racks that I simply set up on my patio while the clothes are drying and I bring them in at the end of the day. It works great and technically I do not have a clothesline.