Homeowners associations are known for being demanding, especially when it comes to lawn maintenance. One homeowner found this out the hard way after letting their grass die to plant eco-friendly clover, only to receive a maintenance notice.
Posting on the r/NoLawns subreddit, the homeowner shared a photo of their brown lawn, writing that their HOA wasn’t happy with them for letting their grass die naturally. The homeowner explained that they were letting the grass die so that they could replace it with clover. Upon receiving the notice, the homeowner decided to speed up the process and remove the grass, writing, “Time to get hoeing.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
The lack of maintenance seemed to be the only issue, as the homeowner later said: “My HOA is very lowkey, I honestly don’t even think they have restrictions on lawns because there are a lot of houses that have different things like no lawns with mulch and succulents or controlled native plants.”
Fortunately for this homeowner, replacing their lawn with a more natural one doesn’t seem to go against HOA rules, but that’s not always the case. HOAs are often obsessed with lawns and have had issues with people replacing their monoculture lawns for more eco-friendly, money-saving options, including native plant gardens. They do this by establishing rules about how long grass can grow or what kind of plants can be planted.
These restrictions often keep people from planting native species or growing their own food, both of which are low-maintenance options that use less water than traditional lawns. As a result, many people miss out on opportunities to save time, money, and resources.
However, some people are fighting back. Working with an HOA to change bylaws can help people enact the changes that they want to see. Sometimes, this isn’t possible and seeking external help is necessary. One couple in Maryland took things even further by working with environmental organizations and politicians to change state laws and protect their native yard.
Many commenters offered the homeowner support in their quest to replace their lawn and shared their attempts at replacing their own grass.
“In my experience clover doesn’t need a lot of motivation to take over a lawn,” one commenter wrote.
“Welcome to the club,” added another.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.