One new resident in a homeowners association was frustrated to discover that their beloved hobby would be seriously impacted by moving into an HOA.
"My friend just bought a new house, and I'll be renting a room from him," said the original poster in a discussion on r/gardening. "Gardening has been my hobby for around 1 year now, and I just got a good system together for sowing seeds, watering, composting, etc."
Sadly, the HOA's rules set strict boundaries on container gardening in the neighborhood. "I'm a container vegetable gardener with around 10 containers that all have recent seedlings," said the OP. "Unfortunately, the HOA … limits home owners to 2 outdoor containers."
This is a pattern with HOAs, which are often more concerned with the look of the neighborhood than with the well-being of residents. Vegetable gardens save money on groceries, make the gardener healthier and happier, and improve the soil, but many HOAs ban or set sharp limits on them.
The OP was resigned to downsizing their garden. "Since this is my friend's house, I will comply with their rules. Does anyone have any advice on how to keep a successful veggie garden with 2 containers?" they asked.
However, many commenters thought there were ways to circumvent the HOA's restrictions.
"Do they limit the size of those 2 containers?'" asked one user. "Put 5 into one big container, another 5 into another, and voila, 2 containers."
"Put the containers out back where they can't see them," suggested a second commenter.
Unfortunately, as other commenters pointed out, those strategies might not be effective, as the HOA could have rules about both container size and backyard gardens.
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Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Yes 💯 "They can regulate anything that's in their directives," said one Redditor.
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As an alternative approach, the OP could try to change their HOA's rules. To learn how, check out this guide.
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