One homeowner found themselves in the surprising position of joining a supportive homeowners association board that allowed them to go all out with native plant gardening, according to a post on Reddit.
“Just thought I’d share some wins from someone in a townhouse with a HOA,” the original poster said in the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit. “… Initially, when I bought the property, I assumed that I would not be able to do any landscaping (since ya know — townhouse and HOA). … Thankfully, I was able to get on the board, and from there I realized that all homeowners in my development actually own the lots; there is no common area. … Additionally, my board was fairly chill.”
The modus operandi of most HOAs is to prevent homeowners from deviating from a traditional lawn or other standard landscaping, no matter what the benefits would be to the homeowners to adopt native gardens or other alternatives. However, this HOA surprised the original poster by working with them readily.
“I was able to first secure approval for several projects (a long line of berm plantings, a fairly large (400 sqft) rain garden, a native prairie restoration area and a bunch of dispersed tree plantings),” said the original poster. “The plantings were able to be left opened-ended, and as such, I was able to choose a slew of native trees, bushes and plants. … Additionally, I got a big win recently by getting approval to change our rules and regulations to allow homeowners to not have to seek approval when modifying existing beds!”
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit
The original poster shared several photos of new plantings in different seasons, showcasing a large space that is on its way to a much more natural and beneficial state. Rewilding like this attracts beneficial wildlife, adds biodiversity, and reduces maintenance needs and water usage because the plants can thrive on their own in their native environment.
With all those benefits, it makes sense to work with an HOA to make changes to bylaws.
Commenters approved. “Wow, you are winning hard,” one user said. “This is huge. May you enjoy this victory for DECADES! Take a bow!”
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