July 23, 2012

Who is there who does not like a garden?

The burghers of Drummondville, apparently.

It comes down to this simple formulation: Grass good! Vegetables bad. We’ve heard one too many stories in which people decide to use their yards to grow some fresh vegetables, only to have city officials come down hard on them, forcing them to tear out their food or bulldozing the gardens themselves. If building a few bike lanes counts as a war on cars, this is definitely a war on gardens.

The latest skirmish took place in Drummondville, Quebec, where Josée Landry and Michel Beauchamp built what supporters describe as “a gorgeous and meticulously-maintained edible landscape full of healthy fruits and vegetables.” …   The town’s given the couple only two weeks to pull out their carefully planted veggies.

Thanks to Matt Foulger.

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Comments

  1. Looks much nicer than most lawns do. And think of the opportunity for social interaction! They must spend hours in their front yard maintaining that garden, creating ample opportunity to have spontaneous conversation with passing neighbours. Sounds like a great way to make the suburbs more livable to me!

  2. http://fr.canoe.ca/infos/regional/archives/2012/07/20120723-175141.html
    Looks like a partial victory…
    DRUMMONDVILLE – Michel Beauchamp et Josée Landry pourront continuer de cultiver leurs légumes d’ici la fin de l’été, sans qu’ils ne soient obligés de retirer la partie du potager qui empiète sur l’emprise de la Ville.

    Un délai supplémentaire a été accordé au couple jusqu’au premier septembre, le temps que les élus municipaux de Drummondville puissent se rencontrer et discuter de la situation.

  3. Um…all well and good, but a one meter pathway width for walkers across the front of the property might be a good way to hint towards a more walker friendly neighbourhood that could enjoy these plantings…

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