Gardeners make great neighbors!

Nontraditional front-yard gardens are increasingly in the news, and one in particular has been all OVER the news and blogosphere. In the (now notorious) town of Oak Park, Michigan, Julie Bass faced jail time for growing vegetables instead of turfgrass or something else deemed “suitable” in her front yard.

Two weeks after the enforcement action became hot news, the charges against her were dropped. But it isn’t just veg gardeners who have to fight crazy, outdated local ordinances. Water-conserving xeriscaping is still outlawed in parts of – wait for it – Southern California!

In sympathy with those revolutionary gardeners going against the grain (the grain being all turfgrass, all the time), I offer photos of a front yard just 3 blocks from downtown Silver Spring that makes me smile every time I see it, and no doubt raises the spirits of neighbors, too. Thank you, anonymous gardeners, for brightening our lives!

Posted by Susan Harris.

Stephanie Fleming

Stephanie Fleming was raised at Behnke’s Nurseries in Beltsville. Her Mom, Sonja, was one of Albert & Rose Behnke’s four children. She was weeding from the moment she could walk and hiding as soon as she was old enough to run, so many weeds, so little time. Although she quickly learned how to pull out a perennial and get taken off of weed pulling duty.