Re: Assistance dealing with local codes adverselyimpactinggardening

**"Carol Wallace, Ph.D." g*@mindspring.com**

This puts me in mind of some research I did on weed ordinances - there, of
course the problem was more the plants themselves, which some cities claim
are an invitation to rats and rodents as well as being a fire hazard. So
people who gardened using native plants were being forced to dig up their
gardens.

I've never thought of container gardening as storage. 

But the city could potentially turn to those weed laws (if you have any) to
make sure your mother has to get rid of her containers. I know of at least
one case where the city came in and bulldozed a woman's backyard (that's
right - the BACK yard) because she refused to comply. She won her fight
before they did the same to the front.

Thomas Olenio is right - I'd go to the media. They will undoubtedly grasp
the absurdity of a city trying to tell a woman that she can't landscape
unless she gets down and digs in the soil - especially at the age of  85
and with Parkinsons. Some of us here would also be glad to write about this
and perhaps get some feedback and input for you.
Carol Wallace

Virtually Gardening
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/virtually_gardening

> [Original Message]
> From: Thomas Olenio <tolenio@sentex.net>
> To: Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum
<gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: 6/29/2003 6:49:25 PM
> Subject: Re: [GWL] Assistance dealing with local codes adversely
impactinggardening
>
> Hello,
>
> The media is your best ally.  I believe that the "smallness" of your
> complainer in the media will alleviate the problem.
>
> In Canada street hockey is as common as a mowed lawn.  One old crank
> decided she did not like it on her street and complained.  The media got
> hold of it, and the crank has moved, and the kids are still playing
> hockey.
>
> Later,
> Tom
>
> --
> Southwest Ontario
> Canada Hardiness Zone 5b
> (similar to US zone 5)
>
> On Sun, 29 Jun 2003, Claude Sweet wrote:
>
> > I am experiencing considerable difficulties with a representative of the
> > Neighborhood Code Compliance in san Diego.
> >
> > My mother has been renting a home next to others for over 10 years. She
> > preferred to garden using containers because of her age and that she was
> > renting. She turned 85 in December  2002. In early January she suffered
> > a second stroke and her Parkinson's is now in an advanced stage
> > requiring her to move to a full nursing care facility.
> >
> > I have been maintaining her home and garden, but somehow her garden came
> > to the attention of this individual who claims gardening in containers
> > is a violation of "Outdoor Storing" unauthorized items within 25 feet of
> > the curb in a residential zone.
> >
> > Some of the containers were the regular black plastic nursery containers
> > and others were tan or white colored containers.  Tree roses,
> > daylillies, callas, crinum, angel trumpets, and assorted flowering mums
> > were displayed along the walk to the front door and as foundation plants
> > bordering shrubs and trees.  Some containers were flowering bowls,
> > hanging baskets, and window boxes whose contents were changed with the
> > seasons.
> >
> > I am appealing the citation and would appreciate any experiences or
> > references you may know that relate to dealing with local governing
> > agencies concerning landscaping that features the use of containers.
> >
> > A search of the cited municipal codes does not seem to list growing
> > plants as a potential violation so I want to have ample citations
> > demonstrating that landscaping with containers is not some weird and
> > wacky idea of a senior citizen. I have also written her district city
> > council representative for assistance.
> >
> > Claude Sweet
> > San Diego, CA
> >
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