Trials In Landscaping: Could Angelenos Face Misdemeanors Similar To Michigan Woman?
Julie Bass walks reporters through her front yard garden in Michigan. Screenshot from WJBK Fox 2 News video.
Julie Bass, an Oak Park, Michigan homeowner and resident, recently faced 93 days of jail time for her heinous crime - growing a vegetable garden in her, gasp, front yard. Apparently, her pepper plants violated the City Code, as reported by WJBK Fox 2 News.
Green thumbs up! The City of Oak Park has since dropped the charges against Bass. The combination of a petition drive, Facebook page and blog gained notoriety and possibly forced the city to change its mind, according to WJBK Fox 2 News.
"That's not what we wanna see in our front yard," said Kevin Rulkowski, Oak Park City Planner. City Code says that a front yard must have "suitable live plant material."
"It's definitely live, it's definitely plant, it's definitely material. We think it's suitable," said Bass.
Rulkowski's reply directed viewers to the definition of "suitable" per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which defines the term as meaning "common."
"If you look around, and you look at any other community, what's common to a front yard is a nice grass yard with beautiful trees and bushes and flowers," said Rulkowski.
Could this happen in Los Angeles? Absolutely not. Laws protect L.A. homeowners' rights to grow a front yard vegetable garden. Other cities that have passed similar laws are Pasadena, Sacramento, Portland and Vancouver, to name a few.
Check out this front yard vineyard in Pasadena.
Gardens of Gratitude offers assistance to Angelenos who wish to grow edible organic gardens in their yards - both front and back.
