There’s a growing number of gardeners across the country who are cultivating native plants in their lawns and flowerbeds.
Native gardens help reduce air pollution and support biodiversity and wildlife – and native plants often also require less water and no fertilizer or pesticides.
But native gardens and lawns don’t always fit into traditional zoning ordinances. That’s led gardeners to receive fines and citations, including in one Cincinnati suburb.
It’s a problem Cory Christopher, director of conservation at the Cincinnati Nature Center, said he’s spent part of his career trying to understand and solve. Christopher said he often gets calls from residents who have received citations for their native gardens.
“Some of these topics, like putting in a native landscaped area, it’s kind of a new thing for a lot of municipalities,” Christopher said. “Twenty years ago, this just wasn’t an issue. So, I think we’re in a place where we are seeing the sort of growing pains, just trying to figure out ‘how do we wrap our hands around this?'”
Understand the ordinances and follow the strictest one
You can typically find rules for pertaining to native gardens and landscapes in your municipality’s zoning ordinance, Christopher said. Look for rules on weed control, lawn and garden maintenance. Many municipalities also have rules about how close plants and gardens can be to sidewalks.
There might not just be one set of rules to follow. He recommended checking regulations for your incorporating township, city and county. If you belong to a homeowners association, he said, the rules could be stricter. Make sure to abide by the most stringent set of rules.
Some municipalities could have regulations or exceptions specific to native plants or gardens, though they could use a range of terms to describe them, including managed natural landscaping area, prairie strips or pollinator or wildlife gardens.
Make sure your garden has a border
Christopher said your garden should have a clear and intentional border that distinguishes it from the rest of your lawn. Many people use stones or paver bricks to do this – though some homeowners associations or townships could have additional rules about how you can edge gardens.
“Showing that the bed is intentional and that it’s not just you being negligent or not taking care of your property is important,” he said.
Pay attention to setbacks
If you don’t have a fence, you need to make sure your garden isn’t too close to your neighbor’s property or the sidewalk. Christopher said most ordinances require at least 3 feet of space between a flower bed and other property or sidewalks. Your ordinance also likely prevents you from planting anything in buffer strips between the sidewalk and street.
“If you have a flower bed that’s further away than 3 feet from the sidewalk, most of the time that municipality is not going to give you a citation,” Christopher said. “They don’t want to cause problems. They have more things going on than sort of policing your yard.”
Find height requirements
If you don’t plant in a delineated garden bed, you’ll have to keep all plants and grasses under a certain height designated by your ordinance. Christopher said sometimes this is as low as 8 inches tall, but it varies by municipality.
What if you receive a citation?
If you receive a notice or citation for your garden, the first step is understanding if you actually violated the ordinance, Christopher said. Even if you disagree with it, you should still abide by the ordinance.
If you believe you’ve met all the applicable requirements, Christopher said to reach out to whoever gave you the citation and ask them to come to your home and walk you through it.
“Instead of trying to get too angry, try to understand what the municipality is trying to achieve,” he said.
It can also help to add signs in your yard explaining that it’s native landscaping.
“It shows the public that that area is intentional, that it’s not just neglected and that the homeowner is trying to achieve something,” he said. “I think those signs are a great opportunity to start conversations with your neighbors about what you’re trying to do on your property.”
Getting neighbors to support native landscaping can also be helpful.
“You get your neighbors on your side, there’s going to be fewer of those complaints to the municipality or wherever you live, and you’re less likely to get those citations,” he said.
How to get started
If you’re looking for how to start your native garden, several local groups offer online and in-person resources. The Cincinnati Nature Center has an online, self-paced “Native Plants 101” course and hosts a “Native Plant Club” once a month.
Greater Cincinnati’s Civic Garden Center hosts various gardening classes and will host a Native Plant support group July 20. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and Cincinnati-based Keystone Flora Native Plants also have lists of recommended native plants on their websites.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Want a native garden in Cincinnati? Follow these rules
Reporting by Mia Hilkowitz, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mia Hilkowitz, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
