In Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, a couple built a wildflower garden in their front yard, creating an ecosystem for the birds and bees that can be enjoyed by their entire community.
Then, they found themselves having to defend that garden when an anonymous complaint to the city left them threatened with a fine.
Angie and Patrick Madore were excited to support pollinators by planting a mixture of annuals, biannuals, and perennials.
"We thought, 'What's a beautiful way we can support our native environment?'" Angie Madore told Louisiana news outlet 4WWL.
However, they received several notices of violation from the Jefferson Parish Department of Code Compliance and Enforcement, 4WWL reported.
"Someone called in a complaint. I asked who, they said it was an anonymous neighbor," Angie Madore told the news station.
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They were told to either cut the plants down or pay a fine.
After the first notice, they put up a wire fence around the garden and a sign that read, "Pardon the weeds, we are feeding the bees."
"We wanted people to see. We have kids in our neighborhood, we have a child ourselves. It's cool to see, 'look at the flowers blooming,'" Angie Madore said.
The Madores filed an appeal.
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Wildflower gardens can create thriving ecosystems by providing food and a habitat for birds and bees. Homeowners like the Madores have found beauty in transforming their homes with their gardens.
Wildflower gardens and native lawns can save hundreds of dollars each year on lawn maintenance and even support your homegrown food supply from the influx of pollinators.
They can also be a great place for community, as another homeowner on Reddit found with their native garden. "We constantly have neighbors come by to see what's blooming," said the Redditor.
However, other renters and homeowners have run into conflict with their homeowners associations and landlords when trying to create these paradises at their homes.
"Helpful Hint! Make sure all your edges are crisp," said one commenter on the YouTube post of the 4WWL report. "This makes native gardens look more intentional."
"All this talk about going green, they are helping the bees and birds," commented another YouTube user.
According to NOLA, Angie and Patrick Madore were able to find a compromise with Jefferson Parish to keep their wildflowers, if they keep their grass cut to the city's eight-inch requirement. Not bowing to restrictive policy in the fight for helpful solutions for the environment can lead to change and success.
"Who knows, maybe it'll inspire more of Metairie to bloom," Patrick Madore told NOLA.
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