I just read a good article in the Sacramento News & Review. It is
he

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=970712

I was wondering (after reading that article) if there was any legal
restrictions to growing fruits, veggies, & other crops in one's front
yard in Sacramento County? What about eliminating a lawn in favor of
such ideas?

So what have you grown in favor of a green lawn?

"Ablang" wrote in message
...
I just read a good article in the Sacramento News & Review. It is
he

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=970712

I was wondering (after reading that article) if there was any legal
restrictions to growing fruits, veggies, & other crops in one's front
yard in Sacramento County? What about eliminating a lawn in favor of
such ideas?


I'm pretty sure that in CallyForKneeia growing cannabis takes precedence
over growing lettuce.

"Ablang" wrote in message
...
I just read a good article in the Sacramento News & Review. It is
he

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=970712

I was wondering (after reading that article) if there was any legal
restrictions to growing fruits, veggies, & other crops in one's front
yard in Sacramento County? What about eliminating a lawn in favor of
such ideas?


Let us know what you find out when you call your county office tomorrow
(Monday).


So what have you grown in favor of a green lawn?

Weeds, nicely mowed.

Here's what I got from Sacramento County Code Enforcement:

Ron,
There are no legal restrictions on front yard gardens. Just make sure
that you maintain it. Way to think outside the box.
Barry

Barry C.
Senior Code Enforcement Officer - CDBG
Code Enforcement Division

Department of Neighborhood Services/MSA

Code Enforcement Website

County of Sacramento

www.saccounty.net

"Ablang" wrote:

Here's what I got from Sacramento County Code Enforcement:

Ron,
There are no legal restrictions on front yard gardens. Just make sure
that you maintain it.

That sure sounds like a big restriction to me... what do they mean by
"maintain it"?

On 5/10/2009 6:39 PM, Ablang wrote:
I just read a good article in the Sacramento News & Review. It is
he

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=970712

I was wondering (after reading that article) if there was any legal
restrictions to growing fruits, veggies, & other crops in one's front
yard in Sacramento County? What about eliminating a lawn in favor of
such ideas?

So what have you grown in favor of a green lawn?

Down south in Ventura County, my front "lawn" is pink clover (Persicaria
capitata), a ground cover that is not actually a clover but has
clover-like pink flowers. It doesn't need mowing and will survive
(almost thrive) with reduced watering.

Several years ago, a house on a neighboring street had a vegetable
garden in front, including corn. I didn't hear any adverse comments.

Fortunately, neither my tract nor that tract had a mandatory owners'
association that could control the street-side appearance of a house.
About 2 miles away, there is a tract where you can't even plant a rose
bush in front without approval from the tract's architectural review
committee, which will want to know the color of the flowers and the
height of the bush.

Thus, not only should you check with your local municipality (city or
county, depending on whether you are in an incorporated area) but also
the CC&Rs on your property. The CC&Rs will indicate if an owners'
association has any say over your front yard.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

On Sun, 10 May 2009 18:39:42 -0700 (PDT), Ablang
wrote:

I just read a good article in the Sacramento News & Review. It is
he

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=970712

I was wondering (after reading that article) if there was any legal
restrictions to growing fruits, veggies, & other crops in one's front
yard in Sacramento County? What about eliminating a lawn in favor of
such ideas?

So what have you grown in favor of a green lawn?


I know several people that planted fruit trees in their front yard. In
California it can draw tree rats (I used to see them when I lived in
Downey, CA). My brother planted apples and pears--it would draw
yellow jackets, make a mess. The fruit was also a tripping hazard,
infested with worms, so he removed the trees. I'm in favor of
keeping the frontal property in respect of the neighborhood.

"Phisherman" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 10 May 2009 18:39:42 -0700 (PDT), Ablang
wrote:

I just read a good article in the Sacramento News & Review. It is
he

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=970712

I was wondering (after reading that article) if there was any legal
restrictions to growing fruits, veggies, & other crops in one's front
yard in Sacramento County? What about eliminating a lawn in favor of
such ideas?

So what have you grown in favor of a green lawn?


I know several people that planted fruit trees in their front yard. In
California it can draw tree rats (I used to see them when I lived in
Downey, CA). My brother planted apples and pears--it would draw
yellow jackets, make a mess. The fruit was also a tripping hazard,
infested with worms, so he removed the trees. I'm in favor of
keeping the frontal property in respect of the neighborhood.

Isn't America fussy!

Here in New Zealand we are down a right of way, so can be as untidy as we
like - for now. But we are about to be amalgamated into Auckland City, so
watch out.

This year the grass got away on me and was waist high before I could chop it
down with the weed eater and mow it. It made a nice crop of hay for the
birds' nests though, and the wild birds loved the seeding grasses.

Our citrus trees are now about 35 years old and cropping well.

Our Korean neighbours have a huge house on a tiny section, but every inch of
ground grows some kind of crop in little beds.

And one family near here had a first crop of potatoes in the front garden,
in a new development. But when they put a lawn in the next year it was
beautiful. They say potatoes are a good first crop though.

In article ,
"Geopelia" wrote:

I'm in favor of
keeping the frontal property in respect of the neighborhood.

Isn't America fussy!

Here in New Zealand we are down a right of way, so can be as untidy as we
like - for now. But we are about to be amalgamated into Auckland City, so
watch out.

We are making progress. Sixty years ago the deed restrictions in
southern California weren't for lawns, but for Jews.
--

- Billy
"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being
is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the
moment of conception until death." - Rachel Carson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI29wVQN8Go

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072040.html

Ablang wrote:
I just read a good article in the Sacramento News & Review. It is
he

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=970712

I was wondering (after reading that article) if there was any legal
restrictions to growing fruits, veggies, & other crops in one's front
yard in Sacramento County? What about eliminating a lawn in favor of
such ideas?

Can I plant a vegetable garden in my front yard?

http://www.msa2.saccounty.net/dns/co...lpha.aspx?q=66

You may wish to research further... but that is the website. I
appears there are no garden restrictions.


So what have you grown in favor of a green lawn?

Not leaving there, but in Atlanta, most people here grow a variety of
plants, like Japanese Grass, Dandelion and Poke Salad,purslane,
hawkweed, and try to keep it mowed to about 2 inches. Not sure what real
grass is supposed to look like. Never liked lawns myself, and don't have
one.

I believe there are a number of readers in this group from your rough
area who can advise.

Jeff

On May 10, 6:39*pm, Ablang wrote:
I just read a good article in the Sacramento News & Review. *It is
he

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=970712

I was wondering (after reading that article) if there was any legal
restrictions to growing fruits, veggies, & other crops in one's front
yard in Sacramento County? *What about eliminating a lawn in favor of
such ideas?

So what have you grown in favor of a green lawn?

Restrictions on what can be planted in a front garden will vary from
municipality to municipality and according to any covenants or
restrictions associated with a specific development and the homeowners
board, if any. Check to see if any of these apply in your area.

On another gardening group I participate in, this question comes up
often. For various reasons, homeowners are opting away from chemical
consuming, time consuming and water consuming lawns in favor of other,
more environmentally conscious plantings. Edible gardens are only one
alternative. You might want to Google the term 'potager', which is a
formalized, ornamental and edible garden common in much of Europe but
gaining popularity here in the US. If well planned, these can be a
very attractive front yard lawn alternative.

And because much of California is under a prolonged drought with
watering restrictions widespread, limiting the amount of lawn one must
tend is often encouraged. There are all manner of alternative, drought
tolerant plantings that combined with well-designed hardscaping
eliminate the need for any lawn at all, especially in the front. In my
area, which features tiny, postage stamp-sized front gardens in the
more urban areas and summer drought conditions, lawns in the front are
considered a waste of space and resources and are often removed. I've
done countless landscape designs for just these situations. My own
front yard in my old garden had NO lawn.......just some wide paver
pathways to accomodate traffic and the rest was filled with plantings,
mostly shrubs, perennials and groundcovers.

It's not exactly Sacramento, but Rogers Gardens in Corona del Mar
sponsors a California Friendly gardening contest that features low
water use gardens, often focusing on front yards that have little, if
any, lawn involved. These could certainly be a source of inspiration
on how to convert your front garden to a no-lawn planting.

http://www.rogersgardensvote.com/garden/entries/

In article
,
gardengal wrote:

You might want to Google the term 'potager', which is a
formalized, ornamental and edible garden common in much of Europe but
gaining popularity here in the US.

Potage is French for soup. Potager is a kitchen garden.
Château Villandry is probably the highest form of this art.
http://www.castlesoftheworld.de/tour...dry-grdnb800.j
pg
--

- Billy
"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being
is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the
moment of conception until death." - Rachel Carson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI29wVQN8Go

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072040.html

"Ablang" wrote in message
...
I just read a good article in the Sacramento News & Review. It is
he

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=970712

I was wondering (after reading that article) if there was any legal
restrictions to growing fruits, veggies, & other crops in one's front
yard in Sacramento County? What about eliminating a lawn in favor of
such ideas?

So what have you grown in favor of a green lawn?

Cat's out of the bag, in public eye now. You can expect the local home
owners associations in each part of the country creating new rules for your
front yard garden, that is, if they even allow it. Its all a matter of
local prevailing opinon of each local home owners associaton. This could be
funny, ludicrous, and anal all rolled up in one. All will make up reasons
as they go along for their rulings to suit each local HOA opinions. I'll
keep my comments about that mum.
--
Dave
We the people...

On May 10, 6:39 pm, Ablang wrote:
I just read a good article in the Sacramento News & Review. It is
he

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=970712

I was wondering (after reading that article) if there was any legal
restrictions to growing fruits, veggies, & other crops in one's front
yard in Sacramento County? What about eliminating a lawn in favor of
such ideas?

So what have you grown in favor of a green lawn?

No restrictions here north in Butte County.
My lawnless (not lawless) front consists of

To the right of the drive is a border of native plants/low shrubs with
accents
of a 25 yr old crepe myrtle and a trident maple grown from a seed.
No water or maybe once a month

The larger area to the left of the drive is anchored at the four
corners with a
very large Viburnum tinus, a western Redbud, a Loropetalum, and an
arbor/arch
with a climbing rose. Along the front of the house are the plants
that get water
regularly: camellias, azaleas, daylilies, columbine, abutilon, among
others.
Water twice a week.

Along the front/sidewalk between the Loropetalum and the Redbud are
also drought
tolerant plants/natives with volcanic rocks making slightly raised
beds.
In the center is a brick circle with a brick pathway leading in to
it.

Emilie
NorCal