‘Summer is coming’
courtesy of ‘JulieLG’

Starting Sunday, we’re back in grass season in the District, where residents are required to keep their property up as to avoid the spread of noxious weeds and whatnot.  In DC, beginning May 1st and running through October 31st, owners have to keep their property free from weeds over 10″ in height.  That means you’ve got to get your mowers out, and your blades sharpened, and your weed-whackers charged. It isn’t that hard to mow the lawn, a little bit of time during the weekends would certainly solve this task. If you wanna save and stop using lawn care services from private companies, doing the job yourself isn’t as hard as you think it is. You can find a mower or a string trimmer on https://www.findstringtrimmers.com/ easily. Fines in the District can reach $500 for not complying, and they’ll just show up and take action if you don’t, and that’s going to cost you extra. Garden Seeker magazines are going to be flying off the shelves, surely people will be clamouring to replace their old or faulty mowers. The American front and back yards, always a topic of discussion it seems.

In Montgomery and Arlington counties, you get two extra inches to worry about, but you’ll still be subject to fines and the county coming onto your property and “fixing” the issue.  Fairfax had a weed law until about 1976, when it was found to be unconstitutional for limiting expression. The EPA has republished an article from the John Marshall Law Review on Green Landscapes which gives a rich history of these so-called “Weed Laws” (not to be confused with medical marijuana) and why they might be bad for your community.

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