A lot of people are secretly cows and they actually eat that grass. Next time you say hello to someone and they respond “moo” you’ll know why.
this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2025
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We do. Obviously not everyone can But I wager the number of Americans growing something edible on their space is decent. Usually it's easy stuff to grow, or someone's favorites.
Thinking about it and counting in my head I actually know dozens of people that grow tomatoes personally. They grow easily in large quantities in relatively small space and all taste better than store bought.
Citrus has been pretty plentiful my entire life too. Lemon trees especially.
The answer is they were a wealthy European concept brought to the colonies as a status symbol. They are still associated with wealthier people which raises property values, so are enshrined in local ordinances and HOA rules.
Bugs, pests, and animals, at least where I live. Unless you build a green house, clear the yard of all other foliage, or somehow fortify your garden, only produce with natural defenses like peppers will make it to harvest. However, I am jealous of my friends on the west coast, who don't really have to worry about bugs or other critters eating from their fruit trees just passively growing in their yard.
If you're East Coast, I think you've just given up too early. Plenty of pests on the West Coast, too. There are also plenty of organic ways to keep them in check. Will you have perfect harvest? Never, but that doesn't mean you can't have anything at all.
Growing crops is quite a bit of cost and effort and time. I have a little garden, but it's not like you just plant some seeds and you're all done.
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My landlord would get a fine from the city and it would be tacked on to my rent.
We do, though? I have mulberries and gooseberries instead of decorative plants, along with various edible cabbages and herbs, and clover for bees.
And that's not unusual for my neighborhood. We're always swapping for mint and zucchini and squash and eggs with our neighbors, and one time even maple syrup!
There are places where they have trees all around their houses. Like in California, where they just had been more fuel to the fires.
HOAs say “ew no that’s for the poors” and good luck finding a house that’s not in an HOA within a reasonable commute to your job
My HOA:
Looks like you are stuck with fruits, grains, herbs, and ornamentals in the front yard, then, lol.
...pretty much this: you'll be fined for anything other than well-groomed grass growing in your yard...
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Because this is illegal in most of America. You would be fined and the city would probably send a crew out to rip it all up and give you the invoice if you defied it and left it that way.
That’s a bit extreme? I think that you are correct that this may be the case in front yards depending on location, but backyards are usually fine for whatever barring some HOA BS or unusual local rules.
I’ve seen this happen before in real life so extreme or not, it’s definitely the norm in upstate New York at the very least. Had the city called on us while we were out of the country and we came back to all 6 of our small fruit trees dug up and tracks all over the front lawn from an excavator and a $2500 bill from the city.
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We do? Some ppl dont, we have sugarcane, oranges, lemons, eggplants, peppers, and I forget the rest, my dad/grandpa are more into gardening. Its just not realistic to do a lot, cheaper and a lot faster to go the grocery storec more variety, hoemgrown stuff is ususlly more of an addon.
Yeah, I have a lemon tree and a small garden that gives me some herbs and some strawberries (that are pretty but don't taste great). My parents were into gardening so they always had a big garden. I remember one of the problems they had is that a single crop would ripen in a short period. Like they'd get 200 tomatoes over 2 weeks. Not ideal (unless you're into canning/jarring), but a good way to make friends with your neighbors.
This is why: https://youtu.be/EwVovJgwbJQ
Edit: Watch to the end, that's worst than it initially seems, and it seems bad from the start.
AI summary, for those who can't watch it right now, like myself:
The video discusses the history of lawns and their impact on American culture:
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Lawns originated in 17th century Europe as a symbol of wealth and status, eventually making their way to America [01:31].
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The invention of the push lawnmower and sprinklers in the 19th century made lawn maintenance more accessible [02:43].
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After World War II, suburban sprawl and consumerism led to lawns becoming a standard feature of the American dream [03:37].
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Homeowners' associations (HOAs) enforce strict rules about lawn care, contributing to the pressure to maintain a perfect lawn [05:23].
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The lawn care industry has become a massive business, with homeowners spending billions of dollars on products and services [07:14].
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Lawns have negative environmental impacts, including water waste and pesticide runoff [09:11].
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The video suggests alternatives to traditional lawns, such as growing food or native species, xeriscaping, using fake turf or clover, or simply letting the lawn grow naturally [10:13].