We highly recommend installing a simple "Wildlife Habitat" sign if you are planning to convert a good portion of your yard from turf grass to wildflowers, forbs, shrubs, etc. It's pretty easy to attain one and it becomes a clear definition of what is going on with this yard, especially for those who really only value turf grass and may take steps to sabotage your efforts because it does not conform to their aesthetic ideal of yard or neighborhood.
It started with us being reported to the city's code enforcement for having 'weeds over 4ft' growing in the yard. We received a letter from the city threatening a big fine, so we called them. When the code officer came out and met with us, they said the garden actually looked nice and that they themselves had Black-eyed Susans at home! They simply asked that we keep any turf grass mowed and tore up ...more ↓
We highly recommend installing a simple "Wildlife Habitat" sign if you are planning to convert a good portion of your yard from turf grass to wildflowers, forbs, shrubs, etc. It's pretty easy to attain one and it becomes a clear definition of what is going on with this yard, especially for those who really only value turf grass and may take steps to sabotage your efforts because it does not conform to their aesthetic ideal of yard or neighborhood.
It started with us being reported to the city's code enforcement for having 'weeds over 4ft' growing in the yard. We received a letter from the city threatening a big fine, so we called them. When the code officer came out and met with us, they said the garden actually looked nice and that they themselves had Black-eyed Susans at home! They simply asked that we keep any turf grass mowed and tore up the notice. They also recommended the wildlife habitat sign.
Well the unhappy neighbor tried again, and we once again had to talk to the city. This time we conceded to remove some goldenrod near the sidewalk. We went ahead and put up the wildlife habitat sign from National Wildlife Federation and another smaller 'Plant for Pollinators' sign from the Cincinnati Zoo. In fact, the city here allows exceptions to code for wildlife habitats. This was over three years ago, and no complaints since.
We've had dozens of heartfelt compliments on the beauty and importance of our little suburban pollinator garden, but the one neighbor who didn't like it caused enough headache to warrant this preventative step. We do keep the front lawn more decorative and manicured, especially the front edge along the sidewalk, than the backyard which has many tall plants like goldenrod. We also hope to inspire other neighbors to start gardens of their own so we need to make a good impression!
At the time we applied for the sign, there were 5 things a yard needed to be certified a wildlife habitat:
- 3 sources of food: the checklist includes items like, 'seeds from a plant', berries, pollen, sap, bird or squirrel feeders, etc.
- 1 source of water: this can be natural or a birdbath, butterfly puddle, or man-made pond.
- 2 places for shelter: these include wooded areas, ground cover, wood pile, dense shrubs, evergreens, etc.
- 2 places to raise young or engage in courtship behavior: mature trees, nesting box, host plants for caterpillars, etc.
- 2 sustainable practices: like controlling invasive species, being chemical free, composting, and conserving soil and water.
We completed the checklist and payed a $20 application fee and soon received our metal Wildlife Habitat sign. It looks great too. We definitely recommend National Wildlife Federation (NWF) for this:
https://www.nwf.org/CertifiedWildlifeHabitat
Feel free to hit me or Ildi up if you have any questions about our suburban habitat experience.
Cheers!
- JGray
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Grovedale Garden
