A dutiful husband attempting to protect his wife's beautiful native plant garden from scrutiny by his homeowners association went to Reddit to ask for advice, writing: "My wife has a bountiful native garden in Indiana. How can I best clean this up so our HOA doesn't cite us?"

"Should I just get hedge trimmers and lop them off to make [them] all level? I don't want to upset her or kill the plants, but I also want to avoid any problems."

The image shows a lush, full garden with colorful blooms of coneflower, allium, butterfly weed, and more.

Gardening has many health benefits for people, such as reducing stress and increasing social connection through interactions with other like-minded gardeners.

"​​It's very gratifying to plant, tend, harvest, and share your own food," the Mayo Clinic writes.

HOAs are notorious for impeding native gardens, usually claiming they're not aesthetically pleasing, even though native plant gardens can be breathtakingly beautiful and also beneficial for nearby pollinators and therefore all local biodiversity. They also tend to require less irrigation and less pesticide use.

"Our HOA is pretty active/confrontational on the most minor stuff. I know of other neighbors who have been requested to clean up their landscaping, so I figure it's a matter of time," the original poster added later.

Other Reddit users shared their recommendations in the comments. Many suggested adding a clear perimeter to the garden, making it look more thought-out.

"The best way is just to make it look intentional — add some kind of little fence or border," one commenter wrote.

Others thought removing some of the lawn ornaments would improve the look of the garden. "There's a lot of visual clutter with the yard ornaments," one person said.

One commenter highly recommended getting involved with the HOA, saying: "OP should read the HOA CC&Rs and look at the laws pertaining to vegetation in his municipality … Getting involved with his HOA is also a good way to head off any potential issues."

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden? Yes 💯 Only if it impacts your neighbors 🏘️ Depends on what you're growing 🌼 Heck no 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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