Photo: Wolf Ruck
“To me, a lawn is just a sterile monoculture that is a dead zone,” said Wolf Ruck. “It could be asphalt painted green and it would look the same.” By contrast, his yard in Mississauga, Ontario, literally buzzes with life. Around four years ago, Ruck began planting milkweed and grew Canada goldenrod and scattered seeds foraged from local parks and scrubland. An anonymous neighbor’s complaint brought enforcement officers in 2022, claiming city bylaws ban landowners from growing grasses taller than 20cm. While he cut back some of the grass himself, a year later, enforcement officers returned and cut back the grass. Ruck took his case to Ontario’s superior court of justice but lost and faces a C$7,000 (£3,930) bill for Mississauga’s costs. He has since appealed and launched a petition calling for Mississauga’s weed control bylaws to be rescinded.
|
|
More:
