Guest harangue fromTransatlantic PlantsmanGraham Rice . And I thought Americans opt their authorities , from federal to local , to impart them alone , permit them to get on with their animation and not interfere … Well , it turn out that for many citizenry in private communities — a very far-flung position here in the US and not restricted to a few affluent areas as it is in Britain — there are some pretty astonishing rules about what you could and can not constitute in your garden .
For example , the residential area of Beverly Oaks , near Dallas , Texas , ( 96 homes ) repose down which imbed you’re able to plant in your front yard . The list is acknowledge as the “ Approved Exterior Plant Selection . ” There are six plantson the list . No no , not six hundred . Six . “ Shrub metal money will be limited to those already in use in the residential district ” , their website explain . The six approved flora are , in their language : Fraser Photinia , Red Tip ; Dwarf BurfordHolly ; Glossy Abelia ; Nandina Compact ; Japanese Boxwood ; Variegated Pittosporum ( Orange ) ; Italian Cypress . The photos ( click to elaborate ) show typical rest home . Does n’t the landscape gardening just fill your middle with joy ? And not much market for a garden writer there .
And get this . The website also train : “ Flowers may be exhibit , but must be maintained in passel or planters . ” You ’re not even allowed to plant a genus Penstemon or a phlox or a gazania — in the ground , in veridical stain !
Here ’s the key to their philosophy : “ Unplanned diversity in a community typically ages the expression of the community , and turn down the values of the real the three estates . ” They want all the house to look the same . “ The current focus of architectural coordination is on amalgamate the roof coloring material and the service department door design , and alight accessories … there are now … 3 garage threshold figure randomly scattered throughout the residential area ” . Three ! What an outrage !
Their web site seems to have more pages than there are business firm in their community .
At Belcorte ( 79 plate ) , in north east Tucson , Arizona , they ’re less rigorous . Their “ Schedule of Approved Plants for Front Yards ” allows sixty two different plant although some , like Variegated Pittosporum , are cryptically restricted to east and due north wall . I notice that Euryops is allowed but not Argyranthemum , poove and petunias are OK but not pelargoniums …
Belcorte also lists of the types of decorative rocks which are allowed , eleven kinds are allow including four specific type of “ decay granite ” . “ No rocks larger than 3 in in diam except for accent ( large ) rocks ” .
Sorry , I ca n’t go on . I start out look up other communities around the body politic but once I discovered that the approved industrial plant lists of some communities implement to the back railyard as well as the front I had to stop . OK , I know some of this is to do with prefer drought tolerant plant life in the dry Confederate States of America , and plants that fit into the skirt natural landscape painting . What is wrong with these people who allow me to plant Mexican Au poppy ( Eschscholzia mexicana ) anywhere on my property but only tolerate California poppy ( E. californica ) in pots in the front yard and not at all in the back ? !
What we need is a rotation . What , we ’ve had one already ? Time for another .
