Covenants (was bottle trees) (warning--gets ranty by the end)
- Subject: Covenants (was bottle trees) (warning--gets ranty by the end)
- From: T* K* E*
- Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 08:20:35 -0500
>>I understand some of the snobbier areas have banned such displays using
neighborhood coventants.
No flamigos either (mine hide in the back yard!)
We have many subdivisions like that in my part of the country (outside
Raleigh, NC). One particularly ugly incident last summer occurred when a
resident of one subdivision was fined for flying the American flag--they had
a "no flags on the front of your house" rule. Seemed the flags detracted
from the appearance of the neighborhood. It took September 11 to bring them
to their senses.
My own neighborhood is completely rule-free, which is one of its
attractions. (Low price was another.) I also have a perfect exposure, with
a gentle slope to the south. It was one of the first features of the
property I noticed when I saw the place. (And I am getting back to
perennials here...) These ARE factors to consider when you have a choice--I
have a gardening girlfriend who bought a house on a tree-filled lot. She
can't even practice shade-gardening; there's no space for anything. I
wonder, sometimes, "Why did you buy THAT house?" I lived on a lot with a
north slope for seven years; I might as well have been one zone north for
the frost schedule. I know of people locally who can't garden in the only
sun they have (even roses, but also vegetables) because the neighborhood
thinks "lawn" is the only thing that belongs out front (and then they've
messed up their water supply, and have SERIOUS watering restrictions, so
everyone's lawn goes brown in the summer! Wonderful!!)
I visited New Zealand two years ago and was astounded at the overwhelming
presence of real "gardens," everywhere. I had been in Auckland for more
than 24 hours before I saw a house that had made NO effort, and that was in
a neighborhood that was decidedly "lower income." But even there, that was
one isolated house, surrounded by gardening neighbors. In one bookstore, I
saw more shelf-space devoted to gardening books than I had ever seen in my
home town, at least 4X bigger in population. Admittedly, I can't expect
much out of the people on my street; three churches, 3 residents are over
70; 3 are renters, and one family's pregnant and remodeling as well. But
still, I can drive for blocks before I find people who are really GARDENING!
Take back your front yard! And don't support those nasty covenants by
buying houses in those subdivisions!
It's Sunday. There's my sermon. But y'all are the choir...
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