In Florida, A Turf War Blooms Over Front-Yard Vegetable Gardening

NPR ^ | 16 Dec 2013 | Greg Allen

[Moonman62]

The front yard looks like a commercial nursery, and it does look bad by South Florida standards. And Miami Shores has always been strict.

But they should rewrite the code to address appearance, rather than what can be planted. That papaya looks terrible and it's a fruit. OTOH, some vegetables are sold as ornamentals and look great.

[who knows what evil?]

Even if the neighbors do complain, what's the problem?

Sounds like they have a 'busybody' problem...

[Reeses]

I see nothing wrong with gardening in the front yard.

Car exhaust and dog markings add to the flavor.

[Paladin2]

"...dog markings"

--> free fertilizer.

[Paladin2]

"Isn't it racism to assume it's racism? "

Of course, but everything is racism, when PC'ly properly viewed.

[JRandomFreeper]

If they are so strict, how did she grow her garden for 17 years without a problem?

/johnny

[Moonman62]

Maybe she came up with new ways to make the yard look bad like half-buried pots and uncovered plastic.

[JimRed]

They must be conservatives, or her protective coloration would have helped. She should have played the race card right up front! < /sarc >

[CodeToad]

This is why things like cities should not exist. Counties should be the end of the line for government.

[familyop]

NIMBYs would probably like to outlaw gardening in more rural areas, too. They’ve been complaining in parts of the West for some time already (uses too much water, alters “open space,” etc.).

[familyop]

Many sparsely populated counties are already regulated up like NYC, too.

[Finny]

I think the photos are what the government wanted to replace it. Not sure, but that’s what it looks like to me.

[Finny]

Judging by the captions at the site, the photos are of the yard that government regulation forced her to create to replace her probably gorgeous and lush (at least during part of the year) vegetable garden. It looks pretty ugly to me and I don’t see vegetable one.

[terycarl]

I don’t see vegetable one

as far as I'm concerned, they are only vegetables when you eat them, otherwise they are just decorative plants......and I harvest very late at night!!!

[SunkenCiv]

> Her garden is in the front yard of her home in Miami Shores, because that’s where the sun is... earlier this year, after tending her garden for 17 years with nothing from the neighbors but compliments, Ricketts was ordered to dig up her veggies.

Thanks Theoria.

[Graybeard58]

Under a zoning ordinance tightened last spring, residents in Miami Shores are not allowed to have vegetable gardens in their front yards.

Plant the entire yard in tomatoes, which are not vegetables.

[metmom]

That’s a beautiful vegetable garden.