One European Redditor posted on r/NoLawns in May to show American users what a yard can look like without interference from a homeowners association.
According to the Homeowners Protection Bureau, about a quarter of Americans live in a community with an HOA. While these organizations started with the goal of keeping up the neighborhood's appearance and raising property values, they can become a frustrating obstacle when residents want to do something new with their yards. This kind of resistance can cost homeowners money, time, and control over their property.
But as this Redditor reminded the online community, it doesn't need to be that way.
"No HOAs in Germany!" the user said, sharing a photo of a yard covered in an incredible variety of plants.
Even in the small snapshot, hundreds of flowers were visible, along with thriving bushes, trees, potted plants, and thick ground cover. A few tufts of healthy, unmowed grass were scattered between a mixture of other species, including clover and strawberries. The old-fashioned well pump and charming stone bench added to the impression of a fairytale garden.
"The garden looks much more organized in reality but still very natural," said the original poster in a comment. They also shared that this wasn't their yard, just one they had come across in Freiburg, Germany.
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Commenters loved the photos. "This is the kind of layout I'm going for," said one user. "I know there are probably some lawn freak neighbors that are appalled by it, but overall many like this idea and probably wish they could as well."
"Thank God this hoa craziness is not a thing here," said another commenter, to which a third Redditor replied, "Yeah, it's crazy looking for houses without that … Like I want to pay people to tell me what I can and can't do to my own house."
However, most of the fun in the comment section came from a posting glitch. A user who was having connection issues commented, "I am a big fan of the rhubard [sic] in the foreground."
Thanks to an error, several identical comments appeared, and other users ran with it. One comment chain produced several remixes such as, "I am a big foreground of the fan in the rhubarb." Another user tagged the creator of the glitched comment to ask, "Thoughts on the rhubarb in the foreground?"
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