The answer is they were a wealthy European concept brought to the colonies as a status symbol. They are still associated with wealthier people which raises property values, so are enshrined in local ordinances and HOA rules.
this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2025
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Growing crops is quite a bit of cost and effort and time. I have a little garden, but it's not like you just plant some seeds and you're all done.
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Because this is illegal in most of America. You would be fined and the city would probably send a crew out to rip it all up and give you the invoice if you defied it and left it that way.
Thatβs a bit extreme? I think that you are correct that this may be the case in front yards depending on location, but backyards are usually fine for whatever barring some HOA BS or unusual local rules.
Iβve seen this happen before in real life so extreme or not, itβs definitely the norm in upstate New York at the very least. Had the city called on us while we were out of the country and we came back to all 6 of our small fruit trees dug up and tracks all over the front lawn from an excavator and a $2500 bill from the city.
So front yard? Yeah, not super surprised at that. Iβve heard plenty of stories about front yard cultivators running into problems with the city. I live in a more rural/urban mixed area so itβs a lot more forgiving. Plenty of people here have apples or other fruit trees in the front yard - not aggressively farming the yard, just as part of the plantings.
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HOAs say βew no thatβs for the poorsβ and good luck finding a house thatβs not in an HOA within a reasonable commute to your job
My HOA:
Looks like you are stuck with fruits, grains, herbs, and ornamentals in the front yard, then, lol.
...pretty much this: you'll be fined for anything other than well-groomed grass growing in your yard...
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Bugs, pests, and animals, at least where I live. Unless you build a green house, clear the yard of all other foliage, or somehow fortify your garden, only produce with natural defenses like peppers will make it to harvest. However, I am jealous of my friends on the west coast, who don't really have to worry about bugs or other critters eating from their fruit trees just passively growing in their yard.
If you're East Coast, I think you've just given up too early. Plenty of pests on the West Coast, too. There are also plenty of organic ways to keep them in check. Will you have perfect harvest? Never, but that doesn't mean you can't have anything at all.
We do? Some ppl dont, we have sugarcane, oranges, lemons, eggplants, peppers, and I forget the rest, my dad/grandpa are more into gardening. Its just not realistic to do a lot, cheaper and a lot faster to go the grocery storec more variety, hoemgrown stuff is ususlly more of an addon.
Yeah, I have a lemon tree and a small garden that gives me some herbs and some strawberries (that are pretty but don't taste great). My parents were into gardening so they always had a big garden. I remember one of the problems they had is that a single crop would ripen in a short period. Like they'd get 200 tomatoes over 2 weeks. Not ideal (unless you're into canning/jarring), but a good way to make friends with your neighbors.
There are places where they have trees all around their houses. Like in California, where they just had been more fuel to the fires.
Some do. Grass just got into the pop culture as the "proper" look for a residential property. But having fruit trees is amazing, especially in spring when they are all in bloom with flowers.
I can imagine a few reasons.
I have a dog, she needs some running around space in our yard, so we make sure she has it.
Otherwise we do have a raspberry... Thicket? In the corner of our yard, and some smaller raised beds along the edges. Every year the local squirrels steal the veggies we plant, but not the raspberries, no matter what we do.
Every year the local squirrels steal the veggies we plant
This has been my experience as well, along with raccoons decimating all but one season's attempt at a water garden.
When I first started gardening I had this idealistic view of, "I will just grow a surplus, if the animals take some I will still have enough." Nope. They eat everything, to the ground. They can do it in one night. There are different pests that specialize in eating the seeds, the roots, the stems, the leaves, and the fruit. Deer will "sample" entire plants just to confirm they don't like them. Squirrels will take a single bite out of every tomato. Bears will push down an entire fruit tree just to get one fruit. Energy is scarce in nature and these organisms aren't fucking around.
Took me awhile to finally admit that barriers aren't just nice, they are required.
We get them all. Deer, birds, chipmunks. The entire garden needs to be protected by hardware cloth. The chipmunks got through the original chicken wire we had. We had to enclose the top as they climbed over. Plus the small birds eat any berries. A constant battle to be able to harvest anything.
My landlord would get a fine from the city and it would be tacked on to my rent.
Most people have both. A lawn is good to play on.
Plenty of people have these things called "gardens". You can grow food right in the ground with them. Fruit baring trees are also a thing people enjoy in thier yard.
Is your entire property filled with bushes or something?
We do tomatoes, tons of peppers, and blackberries. Baby avocado and lime trees aren't fruiting yet. Someone ate our cucumber plants as soon as they sprouted.
I've lived in 9 states and in every neighborhood many people have food producing plants. It's one of the healthiest hobbies you can have.
I love gardening and have a small orchard and have other food plants all around my house, but I still maintain a lawn because it gets my kids outside playing sports, it's a very multifunctional space, and because covering every square inch of my property in food bearing plants would be way more work and time than we have to give. In every home (except Arizona) I've kept at least some portion of the property as grass lawn.
Some people latch on to your idea but then a few years later end up with an unmaintained berry bramble of a yard full of invasive food plants that is totally unusable. Moderation and common sense in all things.
We do, though? I have mulberries and gooseberries instead of decorative plants, along with various edible cabbages and herbs, and clover for bees.
And that's not unusual for my neighborhood. We're always swapping for mint and zucchini and squash and eggs with our neighbors, and one time even maple syrup!
Can speak for everyone, but we do
They're all golf players wannabe.
And it's always greener than your neibours one
This is why: https://youtu.be/EwVovJgwbJQ
Edit: Watch to the end, that's worst than it initially seems, and it seems bad from the start.
AI summary, for those who can't watch it right now, like myself:
The video discusses the history of lawns and their impact on American culture:
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Lawns originated in 17th century Europe as a symbol of wealth and status, eventually making their way to America [01:31].
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The invention of the push lawnmower and sprinklers in the 19th century made lawn maintenance more accessible [02:43].
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After World War II, suburban sprawl and consumerism led to lawns becoming a standard feature of the American dream [03:37].
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Homeowners' associations (HOAs) enforce strict rules about lawn care, contributing to the pressure to maintain a perfect lawn [05:23].
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The lawn care industry has become a massive business, with homeowners spending billions of dollars on products and services [07:14].
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Lawns have negative environmental impacts, including water waste and pesticide runoff [09:11].
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The video suggests alternatives to traditional lawns, such as growing food or native species, xeriscaping, using fake turf or clover, or simply letting the lawn grow naturally [10:13].
I know exactly what you mean, I lived in a small town in Eastern Europe and the streets are literally lined with fruit trees and everyone has a walnut tree in their yard, itβs literally free food. The cherries were the best.
Why aren't people everywhere?
We have grass in the front and a backyard with fruits and veggies.