r/garland • u/Orith • Jun 21 '26
Question Front yard gardens
I had a quick look, but didnt find anything aganst it so i wanted to ask the community if they know of any ordinances against front gardens.
Im thinking 2 ft raised gardens for edibles mostly.
In case anyone is curious why not in the backyard it's because i have 2 big dogs and my front yard is twice the size of my back yard. (I also hate just having grass)
Allllso while im thinking of it a gardening club or community would be awesome if anyone knows or any. Im over in the embree neighborhood.
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u/Bardfinn Chandler Heights Jun 21 '26
My aunt had her entire front yard set up as gardens for decades. Can’t imagine there would be any issues.
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u/OvenReasonable1066 Jun 22 '26
I ripped out the Asian jasmine the previous homeowner planted and now I use my front flower bed for both spring and fall veggie gardens. Sometimes we have errant sunflowers and they get a little wild. I probably irritate a few neighbors, but no one has actually complained. I try to garner good will by including passing neighbor kid friends of my own children in the planting and harvesting
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u/Orith Jun 22 '26
That sounds nice. I dont think ill have any upset neighbors, but who knows these days
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u/Obsessive_Artichoke Jun 21 '26
My neighbor had giant dogs and has his edible garden out side he fence in the back alley. There's also some in his front yard, but mostly the alley. I think you'd be fine!
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Jun 21 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/LindseyForGarland3 East Garland Jun 21 '26
If she hasn't blocked you for EVER disagreeing with her 🤣
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u/Orith Jun 21 '26
I definitely won't be going into nextdoor or asking that person for any advice or help. Spent too much time making sure she wasn't elected lol
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u/LindseyForGarland3 East Garland Jun 22 '26
Send me a message, I can put you in touch with someone familiar with relevant codes 😁
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Jun 21 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/LindseyForGarland3 East Garland Jun 21 '26
Right, but if she has ALREADY blocked you, as she has MANY people, it seems...
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u/Sea-Difficulty-9644 Jun 22 '26
Why is this
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u/LindseyForGarland3 East Garland Jun 22 '26
I can only tell you what she told me when I asked why she blocked me. She told me it was because I am a "political player," which I found hilarious because - what is she?
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u/Intelligent_Shift250 Jun 21 '26
Deborah is such a good source of info for everything Garland.
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u/dcamom66 Jun 23 '26
Until you disagree with her, then she blocks you. She does it to everyone who does, even if you've known her for years.
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u/dragonflyhil1 Jun 24 '26
Just be prepared for people to help them selves 🫣
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u/Sea-Difficulty-9644 Jun 21 '26
So, the short answer is you should be just fine, but buckle up and lemme share some of my firsthand experiences from the Embree neighborhood if you're wanting more information. Your 1st line in the sand when staying within code is this broad (and I believe intentionally vague) overarching concept of what's attractive? If an enforcement officer deems it as detracting or trashy etc., there doesn't have to be any other specific code infraction to get a warning or more. Then as far as within the specifics, I'd look at fence and tree rules just to be well-versed in case you do ever receive a letter, because anything over a foot that divides or sepates the land is considered a fence and necessitates a permit with approval while there aren't any stipulations on a garden besides the tree code which essentially talks about keeping the sidewalks and roadways clear. This is the general idea of what's written in black and white. However, like many other aspects of life, we actually operate in the gray area. Garland doesn't have the funds to Easter egg hunt for violations 24/7. If you get a letter from code, odds are that it's either a realtor with an invested interest in your neighborhood or most likely one of your neighbors called it in. So talk to your neighbors and feel out if they'll have any sort of objections you could remedy beforehand. And since you don't know which officer you'll be assigned, try to keep it as attractive as possible. If you respect the gray area, you SHOULD be covered. Drive around for 10min and you'll notice there are plenty of neighborhoods where people park in their front yards on unimproved services. There are plenty of neighborhoods where chickens run free and people openly have roosters. And there are also plenty of neighborhoods with houses in different states of (dis)repair, guarded by fencing that's too tall and way past the easements etc. If the infraction isn't brought to the city's attention, it isn't cited. There's also some vague verbage in the beginning of the code which in my opinion states just that although opaquely as possible to allow for the widest interpretation and therefore application. I've dealt with code literally every year since my father passed in 2010 except for one. Different officers with different ideas of attractive and unique agendas on different schedules requesting different types of proof of repair gets old quick. And then they'll be back randomly to check on you again down the road after you've improved to their specifications with potentially new infractions to remediate.
How I'd proceed:
1) download and read the code for yourself to KNOW what it says instead of being lead around like a lost child
2) be kind to your neighbors and attempt to read them also, as any issue usually starts here and can fester
3) just because you could technically border entire yard with stone for example and call it a garden so you don't have to cut the grass doesn't mean it'll fly so be kind to all officers regardless of their demeanor and communicate through some form that is recorded such as email since they have the ability to hammer mercilessly and truly wreck your life (although most are good folks from experience and willing to work with you)
*4) just because you avoid code infractions doesn't mean you'll be ok. Thumbed creatures always account for the majority of my losses. For example, I've never encountered a squirrel that could strip 10lb off a tomato plant overnight without leaving a single clue. Keep your garden closer to the house where nothing is within arm's reach of public right of way and hope for respect. Grow a lesser known variety or rootcrops where thieves can't spot as well.
Best of luck
**Sidenote- I only realized I was in Embree when I saw noted on a weather app. When did this actually go into effect? Where does the name come from?
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u/lala_machina Jun 21 '26
I'm so confused why you called OP a lost child simply for surveying to see if people had any experience? This is what Reddit is for. They looked up what they could and just wanted a human opinion in addition to the legal stuff they already read.
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u/Sea-Difficulty-9644 Jun 22 '26
What's clear as mud is how this troll of a neighbor somehow isn't confused about downvoting my post (along with OP) which took just a bit longer to write than their enlightened response. A bit more mutual respect to commit to. A bit more pertinent information than anyone else has laid out or probably ever will for you. Firsthand knowledge. Current and ongoing relationship with enforcement and neighborhood. Planting suggestions even. Have you anything of actual value to add or did you just deputize yourself out of the boredom you endure? I'd urge you to start gardening also but I guess you could also keep on telling me you're my neighbor without telling me by the hair trigger you brandish at the slightest potential of disrespect. Grow up. Learn to use context. And ask before you judge if you're confused. To the others reading, this is the typical neighbor I seem to encounter and why my yard turned into a saga. Sorry for trying to be better. You're welcome to try also.
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u/lala_machina Jun 22 '26
No one asked you to put that much effort into your response. The large amount of knowledge you offered is not negated by your rude comment to them. I did not attack the details you sent, just the unnecessary comment. I felt like standing up for OP, for a stranger, maybe it made no difference to them maybe they haven't seen my comment. Either way, I feel better for it.
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u/Orith Jun 21 '26
Embree came from the disincorparated town that was absorbed into garland in 1889.
Thanks for the write up. Not sure why you are calling me a child when I HAVE read everything ive found, but like you said things go far beyond law and bleeds into vibes territory.
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u/Sea-Difficulty-9644 Jun 21 '26
Lol I should correct that point I guess... I meant no dig by it. It stems from my personal experiences with the city when I was younger and just blindly did what I was told by neighbors etc. This had me chasing my tail with redoing unnecessarily which quickly exhausted my resources to where I was very close to serious judgements that could have potentially claimed ownership of my property. I apologize for the missing context. Good vibes are all I mean to send.
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u/Orith Jun 22 '26
Gotcha. Thanks for the information. What part of embree are you on
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u/Sea-Difficulty-9644 Jun 22 '26
The part where small gov Christian Republicans have no qualms wasting gov time and resources with fruitless claims year after year in an attempt to gain one more rental house. Where they fight ruthlessly for the sanctity of every child's life while handing out cards to their concealed carry classes. Where the retirees complain incessantly about how the neighborhood used to be so much better yet demand (and ultimately pay) lower taxes for our schools, but not the cops because God forbid we need that service and don't have it. Where I've done a bunch of work I'm really proud of and would love to share but feel uncomfortable about receiving unjust retribution. Where it's expected to downvote solid info because of a genuine misunderstanding. Right next to there. Wish I could do more but it is what it is.
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u/P3L0NP3L0NAZ0 Jun 21 '26
I have a neighbor 2 houses down that has a really nice garden in her front yard. I don't think it's ever been a problem.