It’s complicated
The difficulties in making small efforts to take better care of creation.
My back aches and I am tired. I just finished planting a pollinator garden in my front yard. Far more exhausting than the physical labour was the year-long struggle to get permission to do a good thing. This experience showed me how complicated it can become when we try to improve how we care for creation and deal with our changing climate.
The legality of wildflowers
It seemed simple. A major sewer project had upended my flower beds and most of my front lawn for two years. It seemed logical to me to replace it with a pollinator garden and contribute to the city’s new climate change strategy at the same time. The City of Ottawa has officially recognized climate change as an emergency that requires action on all fronts, including water conservation and natural habitat.
Grass sod was the illogical choice. It would require frequent watering and regular fertilizing to maintain it, given the conditions in my front yard. The landscaper hired by the city agreed with that analysis. But there is a bylaw that requires planting grass sod on the right-of-way which extends deep into my yard. My previous flower beds were already an exemption, so they could be replaced, but the rest had to be grass sod. I tried ecological arguments and then economic ones: give me the equivalent of what grass sod costs and I will do the rest. No, can’t do that. Doing something different is never easy, but I did not expect so many hurdles to replace a piece of grass.
I learned that the officials who work on climate change don’t talk to the engineers who run sewer projects. Landscape contracts are sacrosanct. Along the way I learned about the influence of the sod-farming industry, their support for bylaws that require grass, and what a just transition might mean for them. Could they not grow more sustainable kinds of ground covers instead of grass sod?
Time for new bylaws
Now I am engaged in the process to change the bylaw. There are legitimate concerns that tall plants close to streets will hinder snow clearance, people stepping out of parked cars and mar street aesthetics. All these objections can be addressed with more flexible requirements that still allow diversity and more sustainable, green front yards. Later this month Ottawa City Council will consider a new bylaw that will allow more gardening in city right-of-ways instead of the current grass sod treatment.
When new, deep green grass sod covered all the lots on my street except my bare, brown space I had second thoughts. Fortunately, my neighbours have enjoyed my flowers and trust me to not make an eyesore of my front yard. Drivers have stopped to express appreciation – and a few are watching to try it themselves. That would make me feel better. When it matures, I hope my garden will bring joy to walkers on this popular street, as well as the bees, butterflies and birds. It will take patience and persistence.
This is a small effort in relation to the changes we need to make. My easy prayers about care for creation include a sigh this week, while I rub my back.
