An environmentally conscious homeowner was shocked to discover that their homeowners association demanded they remove the native flowers in their yard.
"I could use some help in communicating with my HOA the importance of native flowers for pollinators and why I choose to let them bloom on my property," they wrote in the subreddit r/Beekeeping, a Reddit space dedicated to providing education and help to those concerned about the bee populations.
They went on to describe that they had already pulled any weeds that came up and removed the dead flowers in the fall.
"It's mostly just sunflowers in my area so once they are dead I get rid of them," wrote the OP.
Most pressingly, the OP asked for help on how best to communicate with their HOA and why they want to keep the native plants.
Native plants have proved to help boost the population of bees, which is dwindling due to environmental damage brought on by human interference. Reinvigorating their ecosystem through planting native plants is not only a benefit to the critters — it also benefits the community. Less water waste, less money, and fewer resources go into managing native plants, all while they imbue one's lawn with beauty.
HOAs are notorious for making demands that are sometimes harmful to the whole community. However, despite this, there are many ways homeowners are working around the laws. Some have been so impactful with their communication to HOAs that they successfully changed their HOA rules and even state laws.
First, it's recommended to check the HOA rules, which specify the duties and rights of homeowners within the HOA. If that doesn't help, then move on to HOA bylaws, which record how HOAs function. This could give you insight into how to go to HOA meetings and speak to the members.
These laws are said to contain loopholes, and sometimes, they may not even have the explicit rule written down, as one Redditor told the OP.
Finally, one can appeal to the court to fight the decisions. Another Redditor wrote that Colorado has some laws that "restrict what HOAs can tell you to do with your yard vegetation, particularly your back yard."
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