Is it tacky to grow corn in the front yard?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, if I park my cars on the lawn, would that bother you?

Not the OP, but -- whose lawn? Please don't park your cars on my lawn. Feel free to park your cars on your lawn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if I park my cars on the lawn, would that bother you?

Not the OP, but -- whose lawn? Please don't park your cars on my lawn. Feel free to park your cars on your lawn.

Please don't feel free to park cars on your lawn in my neighborhood. That looks tacky and drags everybody's aesthetics down. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what the demographics are for the responses. I would expect those younger than 35 and more highly educated are probably more likely to not be bothered by front yard vegetables than the Clint Eastwood retired auto worker demographic.

For the record, I'm 40, highly educated and HHI of $500k and would be fine with tasteful gardening that includes vegetables wherever they would grow best.

What a strange post. I don't see how being highly educated and having a high income correlates to corn tolerance.

If anything, I would think the higher income types would NOT want the corn being grown on the front lawns of their neighborhood. Yikes! Talk about "bringing down the neighborhood"! etc.....

I am 40 and have a graduate degree from the London School of Economics, and I am one of the ones repeatedly saying "no" to front yard corn in this thread.

I assumed younger and better educated would be smarter, but perhaps I'm wrong.

[Anonymous]

It's your yard.
If the neighbors have a problem-offer them a few ears.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if I park my cars on the lawn, would that bother you?

Not the OP, but -- whose lawn? Please don't park your cars on my lawn. Feel free to park your cars on your lawn.

+1

[Anonymous]

I thought you were one of my neighbors posting when I saw the headline.

We have neighbors who have planted corn in their front yard and it's caused quite a stir.

At first I was "eh, whatever." But then the corn GREW. Tall. Very, very tall. It looks awful. Worse than how it looks, though, is that we're in DC and that corn is a haven for rodents. The neighbors don't maintain the area underneath the corn, so it's an overgrown mess.

There was talk about reporting them to the city. One of our neighbors found the following statue to support a complaint.

“800.10 The following types of vegetative growth are prohibited:

(a) Vegetative growth that exceeds ten (10) inches in height or is untended;

(b) Shrubbery that is a detriment to the health, safety, or welfare of the public;

(c) Vegetative growth, regardless of height, that creates a harbor or concealment, including hiding places for persons and harbors or concealments for refuse or trash;

(d) Vegetative growth that harbors, or provides a refuge for, snakes, rodents, or other vermin, including rats and mice;

(e) Vegetative growth that creates an unpleasant or noxious odor;

(f) Vegetative growth that constitutes a fire hazard;

(g) Vegetative growth that creates a breeding place for mosquitoes; and

(h) Vegetative growth that is dead or diseased.

800.11 This chapter does not apply to weeds, grasses, or other vegetation, which is planted for agricultural use if such weeds, grasses or vegetation are, located at least one hundred fifty (150) feet from property zoned for non­agricultural use.

800.12 Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit an owner of any premises from maintaining healthy plants, grasses, or shrubbery in tended grounds, gardens, or landscape designed yards, which exceed ten (10) inches in height.”

[Anonymous]

If you think that this statute supports a complaint, perhaps you missed this part:

800.12 Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit an owner of any premises from maintaining healthy plants, grasses, or shrubbery in tended grounds, gardens, or landscape designed yards, which exceed ten (10) inches in height.

[Anonymous]

12:39 here. I think the issue hinges on how strictly to apply the word "tended."

The overgrowth at the base of the corn is really bad.

[Anonymous]

12:39 again. OP's question was whether it was tacky, though, not whether it was legal, so I should have framed my response differently.

As someone who has a neighbor growing corn in their front yard, I can simply answer OP that many residents of our street are unhappy about the corn and have gone far enough to explore whether anything in DC law provides a basis for complaint.

[Anonymous]

Not a lawyer, but I think that the "tended" modifies to grounds, not gardens. I.e., nothing in this chapter prohibits owners from maintaining etc. etc. in

1. tended grounds
2. gardens
3. landscape designed yards

[Anonymous]

I do not think a vegetable garden in the front yard is acceptable, and am thankful I live where the homeowners association would never allow such a thing.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, sorry but the corn is legal. You may think tacky but no authority is going to fine someone for this. Sorry. Suggest moving to Ashburn where every home looks exactly the same.

[Anonymous]

low class

[Anonymous]

I think next summer we should all plant corn in our front yards. That way as you travel around the Metro area, you can pick out who reads DCUM and who doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are some great books on creating attractive edible landscapes---different from the "rows of vegetables in the 40 x 70 rectangular plot" of my southern childhood. This is one of my favorites:

http://www.amazon.com/Gaias-Garden-Home-Scale-Permaculture-Edition/dp/1603580298/ref=pd_sim_b_8

This one is particular good for lots the size of OP's. There are other books (The Bountiful Container e.g.) for those of us who live closer in.
Why stop at corn, OP?

Another great book:

http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Landscaping-Rosalind-Creasy/dp/1578051541/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377177971&sr=8-1&keywords=edible+landscaping

I would have difficulty with this due to deer. However, I do a lot of gardening on the deck. Will probably create a parterre garden in the side yard.