“I’m tired of cutting grass, to be honest,” said Fyfe, who was also inspired by a neighbor in the central Ottawa community who had already put the borders in front of their house to better use. “I saw the possibilities of this and just had a whim to do something other than have grass and weeds.” Then, last summer, someone — Fyfe doesn’t know who — snuck into town and was visited by a regulation officer. It really doesn’t make sense to penalize residents who are just trying to beautify their neighborhoods. – Count. Rawlson King Based on this single complaint and the fact that his plants occupied a city right-of-way, Fyfe was ordered to remove his garden or remove it at his own expense. Instead of immediately complying, Fyfe planted something else on his one-by-three-metre plot: a lectern with a citation stating his alleged violation — “failure to ensure that any tree or plant extending over a highway does not interfere with or pose endangering anyone using the motorway’ — and asking passers-by if they thought the garden was worth fighting for. “I wanted to check if my neighborhood felt the same way,” he said. This photo, taken from Fyfe’s screen door, shows the lectern and reference he placed in the middle of his garden last summer. (Submitted by Andrew Fyfe)
“I was surprised”
When Fyfe checked the petition a few weeks later, there were 180 signatures. “I was surprised,” he said. “I was so surprised, but I was so pleased.” On a rainy September morning, Fife councilor Rowleson King dropped by to see the garden for himself. Neighbors soon rallied and it didn’t take long for them to agree on two things: Fyfe’s garden needs to be saved and the city’s rules about what residents can and can’t do with the right of way in front of their homes are woefully inadequate. . “The legislation, the legal framework that provides guidance on what is permissible, is almost non-existent,” Fyfe said. “Needs an update.” King agreed. “There is no clarity,” he said. Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Rawlson King agrees that the city’s rules on edge gardening need more clarity. “It really doesn’t make sense to penalize residents who are just trying to beautify their neighborhoods.” (Francis Ferland/CBC) According to King, some garden house owners have gone through an unclear and burdensome process to get a special permit, but probably haven’t. He started working with Kun. Laura Dudas to clarify the statute, and in early May the city’s transportation commission approved Dudas’ proposal asking staff to come back next year with what King calls “a simple approach to naturalizing and beautifying the right-of-way ». “If they’re not imposed on the street, if they’re not affecting the attractions, it doesn’t make sense to penalize residents who are just trying to beautify their neighborhoods,” King said. WATCHES | Andrew Fyfe pushed back against the statute:
Bylaw complaint sparks neighborhood quest to save garden
Ottawa resident Andrew Fife has challenged an order to remove a garden he planted on city property in front of his home, saying the space could be used for much more than grass and weeds.
Other cities encourage cutting-edge gardening
This could include suggestions about what to plant and how tall those plants can grow. It will also specify what is not allowed, such as tomato cages or similar structures. Staff were also asked to study how other municipalities handle the issue. In Mississauga, for example, a similar grassroots movement blossomed into a three-year pilot program called Flowery boulevards create a network of pollinator-friendly gardens across the city and even provide residents with free seeds for flowers that attract bees and butterflies. Guelph, Halifax and Vancouver, where suburban gardens have become something of a tourist attraction, have also taken steps toward not just legalizing but normalizing the practice. According to the city’s bylaws department, Fyfe was ordered to remove his garden for “failing to ensure that any tree or plant extending over a highway does not interfere with or endanger anyone using the highway.” (Francis Ferland/CBC) “It seems like little by little, municipalities are updating these antiquated regulations because of climate change concerns,” observed Raewyn Khosla, a Fyfe neighbor who signed his report and has been active in the movement to update Ottawa’s rules on gardening. “We recognize there are safety issues and so forth, but other municipalities have addressed them.”
Obsolete turf obsession
Khosla believes that the current regulation that encourages cut grass instead of native flowering plants is rooted in colonial thinking. Environmentally, naturalized gardens are superior in almost every way, he said. “The turf is a monoculture, it’s a bit of an ecological disaster.” New Edinburgh resident Raewyn Khosla signed Fyfe’s petition and has been active in the movement to legalize horticulture in Ottawa. (Francis Ferland/CBC) King agreed that the city’s apparent preoccupation with grass is “very much in the 1950s state of mind,” especially when Ottawa declared a climate emergency. “I think it makes more sense to have natural gardens, pollinator gardens that actually contribute to the benefit of the city’s ecology,” he said. Fife’s experience revealed another serious flaw, King noted: The city’s complaint-based enforcement system can be, and often is, used as a weapon by disgruntled neighbors. “Often, if neighbors have disputes with other neighbors, they’ll pick up the phone and use law enforcement to fight back in a sense,” King said. “Obviously, it’s a waste of resources, especially if the gardens on the right track don’t create a challenge.” Raewyn Khosla, left, and Andrew Fyfe chat in front of Fyfe’s home. (Francis Ferland/CBC) Khosla said she would like to see gardening’s popularity grow beyond Ottawa’s dense inner-city neighbourhoods. “What I’d really like to see is Barrhaven and Orléans, the places with the boulevards that are meters wide, they could really have a fantastic garden situation there,” he said. “I hope it catches on.”
You can fight the town hall
Khosla said the experience also showed her that you can fight city hall and sometimes you can even win. “The process takes time, but it’s very positive to know that you can bring about positive change,” he said. A neighbor grows lilies and poppies in the larger boundary next to Fyfe’s. (Francis Ferland/CBC) For Fife, one of the unexpected benefits of the whole ordeal was the new relationships he made with neighbors. “You always get people and it’s a reason for people to stop,” said Fyfe, who recently added garlic to his usual selection. “You develop relationships along with growing a garden, I think that’s the thing that really rewards me,” she said as she cut a sprig of cilantro. “I also really like having my herbs available.”
title: “How A Regulatory Complaint Sparked A Rethinking Of Urban Gardening " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Numbers Friesen”
“I’m tired of cutting grass, to be honest,” said Fyfe, who was also inspired by a neighbor in the central Ottawa community who had already put the borders in front of their house to better use. “I saw the possibilities of this and just had a whim to do something other than have grass and weeds.” Then, last summer, someone — Fyfe doesn’t know who — snuck into town and was visited by a regulation officer. It really doesn’t make sense to penalize residents who are just trying to beautify their neighborhoods. – Count. Rawlson King Based on this single complaint and the fact that his plants occupied a city right-of-way, Fyfe was ordered to remove his garden or remove it at his own expense. Instead of immediately complying, Fyfe planted something else on his one-by-three-metre plot: a lectern with a citation stating his alleged violation — “failure to ensure that any tree or plant extending over a highway does not interfere with or pose endangering anyone using the motorway’ — and asking passers-by if they thought the garden was worth fighting for. “I wanted to check if my neighborhood felt the same way,” he said. This photo, taken from Fyfe’s screen door, shows the lectern and reference he placed in the middle of his garden last summer. (Submitted by Andrew Fyfe)
“I was surprised”
When Fyfe checked the petition a few weeks later, there were 180 signatures. “I was surprised,” he said. “I was so surprised, but I was so pleased.” On a rainy September morning, Fife councilor Rowleson King dropped by to see the garden for himself. Neighbors soon rallied and it didn’t take long for them to agree on two things: Fyfe’s garden needs to be saved and the city’s rules about what residents can and can’t do with the right of way in front of their homes are woefully inadequate. . “The legislation, the legal framework that provides guidance on what is permissible, is almost non-existent,” Fyfe said. “Needs an update.” King agreed. “There is no clarity,” he said. Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Rawlson King agrees that the city’s rules on edge gardening need more clarity. “It really doesn’t make sense to penalize residents who are just trying to beautify their neighborhoods.” (Francis Ferland/CBC) According to King, some garden house owners have gone through an unclear and burdensome process to get a special permit, but probably haven’t. He started working with Kun. Laura Dudas to clarify the statute, and in early May the city’s transportation commission approved Dudas’ proposal asking staff to come back next year with what King calls “a simple approach to naturalizing and beautifying the right-of-way ». “If they’re not imposed on the street, if they’re not affecting the attractions, it doesn’t make sense to penalize residents who are just trying to beautify their neighborhoods,” King said. WATCHES | Andrew Fyfe pushed back against the statute:
Bylaw complaint sparks neighborhood quest to save garden
Ottawa resident Andrew Fife has challenged an order to remove a garden he planted on city property in front of his home, saying the space could be used for much more than grass and weeds.
Other cities encourage cutting-edge gardening
This could include suggestions about what to plant and how tall those plants can grow. It will also specify what is not allowed, such as tomato cages or similar structures. Staff were also asked to study how other municipalities handle the issue. In Mississauga, for example, a similar grassroots movement blossomed into a three-year pilot program called Flowery boulevards create a network of pollinator-friendly gardens across the city and even provide residents with free seeds for flowers that attract bees and butterflies. Guelph, Halifax and Vancouver, where suburban gardens have become something of a tourist attraction, have also taken steps toward not just legalizing but normalizing the practice. According to the city’s bylaws department, Fyfe was ordered to remove his garden for “failing to ensure that any tree or plant extending over a highway does not interfere with or endanger anyone using the highway.” (Francis Ferland/CBC) “It seems like little by little, municipalities are updating these antiquated regulations because of climate change concerns,” observed Raewyn Khosla, a Fyfe neighbor who signed his report and has been active in the movement to update Ottawa’s rules on gardening. “We recognize there are safety issues and so forth, but other municipalities have addressed them.”
Obsolete turf obsession
Khosla believes that the current regulation that encourages cut grass instead of native flowering plants is rooted in colonial thinking. Environmentally, naturalized gardens are superior in almost every way, he said. “The turf is a monoculture, it’s a bit of an ecological disaster.” New Edinburgh resident Raewyn Khosla signed Fyfe’s petition and has been active in the movement to legalize horticulture in Ottawa. (Francis Ferland/CBC) King agreed that the city’s apparent preoccupation with grass is “very much in the 1950s state of mind,” especially when Ottawa declared a climate emergency. “I think it makes more sense to have natural gardens, pollinator gardens that actually contribute to the benefit of the city’s ecology,” he said. Fife’s experience revealed another serious flaw, King noted: The city’s complaint-based enforcement system can be, and often is, used as a weapon by disgruntled neighbors. “Often, if neighbors have disputes with other neighbors, they’ll pick up the phone and use law enforcement to fight back in a sense,” King said. “Obviously, it’s a waste of resources, especially if the gardens on the right track don’t create a challenge.” Raewyn Khosla, left, and Andrew Fyfe chat in front of Fyfe’s home. (Francis Ferland/CBC) Khosla said she would like to see gardening’s popularity grow beyond Ottawa’s dense inner-city neighbourhoods. “What I’d really like to see is Barrhaven and Orléans, the places with the boulevards that are meters wide, they could really have a fantastic garden situation there,” he said. “I hope it catches on.”
You can fight the town hall
Khosla said the experience also showed her that you can fight city hall and sometimes you can even win. “The process takes time, but it’s very positive to know that you can bring about positive change,” he said. A neighbor grows lilies and poppies in the larger boundary next to Fyfe’s. (Francis Ferland/CBC) For Fife, one of the unexpected benefits of the whole ordeal was the new relationships he made with neighbors. “You always get people and it’s a reason for people to stop,” said Fyfe, who recently added garlic to his usual selection. “You develop relationships along with growing a garden, I think that’s the thing that really rewards me,” she said as she cut a sprig of cilantro. “I also really like having my herbs available.” Ottawa Morning2:09 How a bylaw complaint prompted a rethink of urban gardening Andrew Fyfe never meant to sow the seeds of a gardening revolution when he planted a few tomatoes, herbs and daisies in the narrow strip between the sidewalk and the curb in front of his New Edinburgh home five years ago.
