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Post by paquebot on Mar 10, 2016 21:27:46 GMT -5
If one thinks that this can't happen, the circus continues. goo.gl/FsG3voMartin
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Post by stratcat on Mar 10, 2016 23:47:45 GMT -5
Good grief, Martin! I read the article. The level that servants on our payroll will stoop to harass us. I hope you're getting sleep now. Last year I had seven months of insomnia because of my flowers and the city. I'm 63 and it really took its toll. Now, I'm always looking over my shoulder. Take great care of yourself.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Mar 11, 2016 11:03:30 GMT -5
Ah, the problem is that so many public servants have forgotten (or never cared) that their job is to serve the public.
Martin, I understand that it may not be worth the time, money, and stress to sue the city over this, but the city's interpretation of the situation is ridiculous. I think you have a valid case that the park rules never applied to begin with.
As you've pointed out, that patch of land has to be run as either a park or a community garden - it cannot be both because their purposes are in conflict. A city park's purpose is for preservation of a natural environment or for maintenance of a green space for public enjoyment. A community garden's purpose is for citizens to lease land to grow vegetables. A community garden must allow for the control of garden pests, including mammals, as a matter of necessity. A community garden must also allow breaking soil, destroying native vegetation, and removal of plant matter (flowers, fruits, vegetables). So applying park rules to the garden is illogical; enforcing park rules would actively prevent the park from fulfilling its purpose.
Not only that, you could possibly seek damages for selective enforcement. The city chose to enforce the "no killing animals" rule against you, but are making no effort whatsoever to enforce the "no person shall break, cut down, trample upon, remove or in any manner injure, deface, write upon or ill use any tree, shrub, flower bed, turf, soil" rule against any gardeners. While there is such a thing as prosecutorial discretion, cities are still not allowed to ignore ordinances or sections of ordinances as a matter of policy. Nor are they allowed to choose to enforce ordinances against only certain citizens.
Of course, many of our governmental entities are making an art form of selective enforcement these days, and they rarely suffer any consequences for it. So I guess your city government has plenty of company in its attitude toward its ordinances and its citizens.
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Post by september on Mar 11, 2016 11:04:43 GMT -5
Good luck, Martin! If you can get help from someone else for your court costs, it would be worth it to go after those silly rule interpretations that make no sense.
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Post by paquebot on Mar 11, 2016 23:07:38 GMT -5
To follow this from the beginning, go to another Proboards forum, Homesteading Families. In the Gardening section, thread is "Free At Last". homesteadingfamilies.proboards.comMartin
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Post by ladymarmalade on Jun 7, 2017 11:59:39 GMT -5
I snapped a few pics at my community garden today that made me smile and I thought I'd share. We are up to 33 plots at this garden, plus 2 larger teaching gardens. The last two years they've added another row to the back of the gardens, adding five each year. There's quite a bit of meadow space behind the gardens yet- we could probably double the size if they had a mind to do it. There's been such a fabulous renewed interest in home gardening the last few years, it's exciting to see the gardens flourishing! Here's a way-back picture with as much of the garden as I can capture. Each plot is 20 x 25, with the exception of the teaching gardens which are the closest to the camera here. Here you can see one of the teaching gardens fully, along with our garden sign which was updated this year. They've really put some attention on the gardens! Last year we went from one bulk water tank on site to having six spigots conveniently placed throughout the gardens for our use. Here's the view of the garden from the "other side" this row of gardens stretching to the right are the brand new ones this year. I don't envy their battle with the meadow still trying to grow here. And now for two gardens that really made me smile! The community garden I was in previously had a large Hmong population using it, and I always appreciated their resourcefulness when it came to fencing, supports, etc. They literally used anything and everything to help their gardens along. I miss that diversity a little bit over here, so when I saw this old bed frame plunked into the ground for a support system it made me laugh and hope they have great success with it. And finally, you thought milk came from cows! Here in the Dairy State, we know best. Lol. I think this is a new gardener this year. I think many of those cartons are hiding tomato plants- if so, my title as the Crazy Tomato Lady might be in danger! I'm not sure the cartons are the best idea. It is very windy sometimes over there, and putting the plants in the ground when they are young gives them time to develop strong stems to deal with that wind. I would worry that when the cartons are removed, the stems will be weak and snap with some of the stronger gusts we can get. Still, it was fun to look at and I hope I get a chance to say hi to this gardener.
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Post by daylilydude on Jun 7, 2017 17:29:20 GMT -5
ladymarmalade, I'm not sure but are there little plastic spoons growing there also??
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Post by ladymarmalade on Jun 7, 2017 17:36:33 GMT -5
ladymarmalade, I'm not sure but are there little plastic spoons growing there also?? Good eye! But now I want to know which one is the cereal plant...?
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jun 8, 2017 8:35:14 GMT -5
The spoons must be the markers for the cereal plants. But that poor gardener forgot the bowls! I got a kick out of the repurposed bed frame support, too. I'm sure there are a zillion grass and weed seeds in the new plots, but one thing I wonder about all of the plots - doesn't your grass send out runners (underground stolons)? I have a bear of a time with grass popping up in my flower and garden beds from runners, sometimes feet away from the edge. Then it outgrows the desirable plants...and pulling or hoeing only breaks it off just below the surface and it pops right back up in couple of days, as strong as ever, because it's getting fed from the stolon. By comparison, grasses that start from seed are easy as long as you catch them in a couple of weeks, before they start making stolons; they can be pulled or hoed right out.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Jun 8, 2017 9:34:30 GMT -5
The spoons must be the markers for the cereal plants. But that poor gardener forgot the bowls! I got a kick out of the repurposed bed frame support, too. I'm sure there are a zillion grass and weed seeds in the new plots, but one thing I wonder about all of the plots - doesn't your grass send out runners (underground stolons)? I have a bear of a time with grass popping up in my flower and garden beds from runners, sometimes feet away from the edge. Then it outgrows the desirable plants...and pulling or hoeing only breaks it off just below the surface and it pops right back up in couple of days, as strong as ever, because it's getting fed from the stolon. By comparison, grasses that start from seed are easy as long as you catch them in a couple of weeks, before they start making stolons; they can be pulled or hoed right out. Oh yes, it is definitely an on-going battle. Those of us who have been at it for a few years are seeing far fewer weeds and tufts of grass popping up though. It's absolutely crazy how long those underground root systems can grow. Sadly, last year it was approved to allow the use of Round-Up to help combat the weed and grass problem. I'm not using it, but there are quite a few gardeners who are. Clearly, it helps get rid of the weeds, but at what future cost? There are two gardens that have had no one working in them yet this year and are chock-full of a weed forest. I'll try and get over and take a picture of them when no one is there. It's quite remarkable!
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Post by ladymarmalade on Jun 10, 2017 17:49:43 GMT -5
As promised, photos of one of the weed-filled beds. This person has not been on site yet this year. I wonder if they will be? I had applied for a second plot over the winter, and I was a little bummed when I got an e-mail this spring that they'd filled the gardens and were unable to get me that second plot. Then I took on a part time job and got crazy busy and I was suddenly glad I didn't get that second plot! Managing the gardens I have is going to be a challenge this year. When I was told about not getting the second plot, I messaged back to keep me in mind if someone abandons their plot mid-season because I wanted to try a fall garden. But looking at those weeds... Oh my. I don't know what I would say if it were offered me. As it is, I will be surprised if that gardener uses it this year. I tried looking to see if there was anything perennial planted in there, but I don't think there is. The other weed-filled bed at least has some rhubarb in it. This one I think is all weeds.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jun 11, 2017 18:15:03 GMT -5
Oooh, that is going to be some work to clear out. Hope that gardener has a good tiller.
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Post by daylilydude on Jun 11, 2017 19:17:37 GMT -5
ladymarmalade, I see a lil hideaway for all the bad garden bugs... doesn't the owner mow areas that aren't being used or do they just wait for someone to rent the spot and let them do it??
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Post by ladymarmalade on Jun 11, 2017 21:03:07 GMT -5
ladymarmalade, I see a lil hideaway for all the bad garden bugs... doesn't the owner mow areas that aren't being used or do they just wait for someone to rent the spot and let them do it?? It's a village-owned park. They mow around the plots every Monday, but tending the plots are the responsibility of the renters so... I don't know. It's too much to ask the city employees to mow around the gardens PLUS mow just one plot or two. What would happen if they accidentally mowed the wrong one? We usually have a deadline for activity to have begun or the plot can be reassigned- but I don't remember what that date is. I want to say July 1st. I would think that there must be some kind of communication going on between the person who rented the plot and the people who manage the garden or they would have someone else in there by now because it is so awful. I just look at those seriously tall weeds and I shake my head. Unless you have a compost pile IN your plot, you take home the debris. I can't imagine how many yard and lawn bags that plot will fill. At the same time, the bunnies are really enjoying people's gardens this year and I know (that I know that I know) that part of the reason the bunnies have really been a nuisance is because people are getting better at eliminating weeds. A significant portion of those weeds are bunny favorites- clover and sorrel and plantain come to mind. Well, we're all pulling out everything that even looks like a weed so what are the rabbits going to go for? Bean sprouts and cabbages and kale plants are mighty tasty this time of year.
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Post by daylilydude on Jun 13, 2017 20:01:12 GMT -5
Bean sprouts and cabbages and kale plants are mighty tasty this time of year. and so is rabbit stew...
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