A weed by any other name
Natural garden or horticultural horror? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to a lawn-less yard
What do you call a front lawn that is more wild-looking than manicured? Is it a garden, or is it just a mess?
Other homes on Annemarie Leepel’s block in Scarborough generally subscribe to the typical suburbia look: some shrubs, some grass, some flowers, and varying levels of landscaping elegance.
But Leepel, 59, isn’t a fan of the suburbia look, so when she moved into her home in 1993, she slowly started replacing the grass on her lawn with plants.
Each seed she sowed, she sowed on purpose. Some may call the goldenrod and other kinds of plants in her yard weeds, but she likes them.
“The only way we’re going to get people to buy into natural gardens is to be considerate of our neighbours so they see it as a positive thing.” PATRICIA LANDRY TORONTO PARKS PROGRAM OFFICER
“In the spring it’s much prettier, because there are tons and tons of bulbs blooming,” Leepel said. The Toronto Municipal Code states that the grass and weeds on a homeowner’s property cannot be higher than 20 centimetres. A property can be exempted if it is granted natural garden status. Leepel applied and her request will be heard at Scarborough Community Council on Oct. 10. A natural garden must be intentionally planted and constantly managed, according to the city’s guidelines. Leepel’s yard meets the intentionality requirement, but plants grow out onto the street and the back is a sea of goldenrod. She knows at least one of her neighbours complained to the city about her garden, but says no one ever spoke to her about it directly. Neighbour David Mitchelson has never officially complained yet he doesn’t see how the yard could be described as pretty. “It looks like a patch of weeds,” he said. The previous homeowner had a well-groomed lawn, Mitchelson said. “This is quite the contrast.” Another neighbour who didn’t want to be identified said he doesn’t mind that her yard has an unconventional look. “I would just like to see her take care of her lawn.” He noted that raccoons seem to be attracted to Leepel’s yard and, though he knows the plants are not solely to blame for the raccoons’ presence, they have damaged his and other neighbours’ roofs. Councillor Ron Moeser has seen her yard and echoed the neighbours’ observations that it is unruly. “If I lived next to it, I’d certainly be concerned,” he said. Patricia Landry, parks program officer with the city’s Natural Environment and Horticulture Section, drafted a recommendation that will be presented to community council regarding Leepel’s application. Landry uses a set of guidelines to grant natural garden status, but they aren’t rigid. If a thistle plant, for example, grows where it can cause harm to someone or can spread to the neighbours’ yards, the city can order it be removed. But if its purpose is to attract finches, the city may allow it to stay. “The only way we’re going to get people to buy into natural gardens is to be considerate of our neighbours, so they see it as a positive thing,” she said. Landry will meet with Leepel this week to tell her what must be done to meet the requirements for a natural garden. If Leepel complies, Landry can recommend that her request be approved.