Connor Donnelly wrote:

> According to the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, Title 11 - Health and
Sanitation, Ch. 227 -
> Nuisances Generally

> "Any weeds or grass growing upon any lot or parcel of land in the city to
a greater height than
> eight (8) inches or which have gone or are about to go to seed are hereby
declared to be a
> nuisance condition and dangerous to the health, safety and good order of
the city."
>
> If you don't cut your grass you can be served with a notice to remove the
"offensive matter".
> If you don't comply with in three business days, the city could remove
your grass and weeds and
> charge you for the service. If you want to plant prairie grasses and let
them grow tall, make
> sure you aren't also growing any noxious weeds as defined by state rules
1505.0730.
> http://www.mda.state.mn.us/appd/Weeds/noxiousplantsminnesota.pdf

I must come forward and admit that I have violated the law.  I planted my
boulevard in native tall grass prairie plants.  I was very careful to plant
only native species (for anyone wanting to try this, Landscape Alternatives
is the place to go).  It was very beautiful and it attracted an amazing
number of animals and insects and birds.  Yes, my big blue stem did reach
eight feet tall, some seven feet over legal limit for grass but there were
only a few small clumps of it.  I then got cited because of the above
ordinance and ended up moving the whole thing shovelful by shovelful into my
back yard and replanting my boulevard in law-abiding Kentucky bluegrass.
Sigh.

Now, that I had to have grass on the boulevard, I did plant several illegal
trees.  I planted a dwarf peach tree (The answers are "Yes they do grow
here", "about two cases", "Reliant", and "Henry Field's catalogue")  and two
dwarf plums which should grow exactly the right height to fit under the
power lines that run along my property.  I also have a ginkgo on my
boulevard that the Park Board planted some eight years ago (I have written
about this previously, the one that had been trimmed to look like a palm
tree as the Park Board cut it high enough so a semi could get under it and
that NSP topped so it wouldn't grow into the power line).

Now that the City forced me to plant my boulevard in bluegrass, the Park
Board came along to mulch my eight year old palm-ginkgo tree that they
planted .  Now first off, I can't figure out why they needed to mulch an
eight year old palm-ginkgo.  Second, they felt it necessary to mulch my
three illegal fruit trees also which I would normally be somewhat grateful.
Except for all four trees, they used so many wood chips that the woodchips
spread from one side of the boulevard to the other, in a circle that is
about ten feet in diameter around each tree.  Killing all that stupid grass
that the City made me plant.  And making a perfect bed for the creeping
charlie and elm tree seedlings to move in.

Now, being a good environmentalist, I have a push mower.  I can say that it
is completely impossible to mow along the edge of the woodchips with a push
mower as they get caught in the reel.  So now I have to clip around the
stupid wood chip piles.  The squirrels are scattering the woodchips, further
killing more of the stupid grass that the City made me plant.  And the weeds
are starting to move in, and I have to weed the mounds.

So what does anyone think the odds are of getting the Park Board to take
back their @#$% woodchips and resodding my boulevard where they killed the
grass so I can be in compliance with the City ordinance?

Carol Becker
Longfellow
Who plans to spend a large portion of the weekend laying sod...

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