Honestly, I’ve always thought those city checklists were written by folks who’ve never set foot on a hillside lot. My place has a slope and a weird corner, and the “guidance” was basically useless—didn’t mention drainage once. My HOA mostly nitpicked the plant list (no “messy” trees, whatever that means), but they didn’t care about the layout as long as it looked tidy. I tried showing them some before-and-after pics from neighbors’ yards, and that helped a bit. Templates for oddball lots would be a game changer, but I’m not holding my breath... cities seem stuck in their one-size-fits-all mindset.
“Templates for oddball lots would be a game changer, but I’m not holding my breath... cities seem stuck in their one-size-fits-all mindset.”
Can’t argue with that. I’ve seen more than a few city “guidelines” that feel like they were written for perfectly flat, rectangular lots in a parallel universe. Try explaining to an inspector why water runs downhill on a slope—they look at you like you’re inventing gravity. The plant lists are another story... “no messy trees” is just code for “we don’t want to sweep.” If cities ever start paying out for creative water-saving on weird lots, maybe they’ll finally get around to writing some real-world templates. Until then, it’s DIY and hope the HOA doesn’t notice the mulch pile.
I get what you’re saying, but I wonder if cities even have the bandwidth to rethink these guidelines for every quirky lot. I’ve seen some luxury developments where the landscaping is stunning, but it’s all custom work—no city template in sight. If cities did start paying for water-saving on odd-shaped lots, would they actually trust homeowners to get creative, or just add more red tape?
Honestly, I’ve seen some of the most creative yards come out of those “weird” lots—people just make it work when they’re given a bit of freedom. I get the worry about red tape, but sometimes a little trust in homeowners pays off. Years ago, I worked on a place where the city let us experiment with native plants and gravel paths—turned out way better than any cookie-cutter plan. Maybe cities could offer guidelines but leave room for folks to get inventive?
WHAT IF YOUR CITY PAID YOU TO USE LESS WATER?
Honestly, I think you’re onto something with the “let people get creative” angle. Here’s how I’d do it: 1) Ditch the grass—seriously, nobody needs a golf course at home. 2) Go for drought-tolerant plants (bonus points if they look expensive). 3) Add some gravel or stone paths—less mowing, more style. The city could just set a few basic rules (no dead lawns, no invasive species), then let folks run wild. I’ve seen some wild stuff in high-end neighborhoods where people had free rein... and honestly, it looked better than half the manicured lawns out there. Sometimes less water means more personality.