Thursday, March 31, 2011

The politics of gardening: Bygone bylaws

By Katharine Fletcher

More and more gardeners are challenging dusty bylaws to renaturalize their front yards. Here’s what you could encounter despite your good intentions.

 


Who knew gardening represents a controversial political statement? In the summer of 2008, Hank and Vera Jones moved into their suburban Ottawa ’hood, Constance Bay Village. They had no idea creating a naturalized landscape from their lawn would immerse them in political hot water. “We wanted a chemical-free natural garden,” Vera recalls. “We envisioned an urban native meadow, buzzing with native pollinators, with pathways winding through the informal garden,” adds Hank. Neither imagined their pollinator garden featuring native wildflowers, fruit, and nut trees designed to lure butterflies, bees, and birds would escalate into an international news story.
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Read the full story on the Canadian Gardening website.

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