California $75 Rebate on Rainwater Barrels

[Subrosa]

Right now around here dandelions are very tasty, and once they bloom it's winemaking time. They're a valuable resource.

[Leafmite]

Originally Posted by Ordphien

I don't have a homeowners association luckily. But alot of people do in my area.
And they know it's not water wise to have grass. They just don't care.
Frankly the attitude I seem to encounter most is "if you can't afford grass you don't deserve to live here"
One friend let her lawn go for a bit after her mother died. They eventually bullied her out of the neighborhood. It was a really stupid situation.

Another, who just moved, received a list of preapproved plants that she's allowed to plant. Not only out front, but out back.
Such as "no roses other than hybrid teas. Only in white, or light pink. No bicolour roses. Must be fragrance free and trimmed to a height of 4 feet. NO YELLOW! NO EXCEPTIONS!
All roses must be planted away from the street, gates, or sidewalks."
And that was just roses.

Not all of them are that crazy though. I do think a nicely maintained lawn out front is a requirement by most though.
I agree. I can't imagine someone telling me what I colour I could paint my house let alone what I could plant.

That aside though I'm personally trying to landscape more efficiently. If only to save money.
Do you know what I found really tolerant of less water? Roses. It surprised me. If you water less as summer hits they adjust their blooming period to be in winter and go dormant in the heat of summer. At least in my area.
They don't look as glorious though. Won't lie.
I've raised my garden beds, which I find is really cutting back on watering.
Looking for a good grass replacement and more efficient watering system.

That is just awful! These people need to attend flower shows and public flower gardens to see what a little variety can do. Monet's paintings of his garden would have been a little boring if he had been forced to conform. :|
It is sad when people get so caught up in appearances and conformity that they miss out on the beauty that the world has to offer. Some of the greatest things that we treasure are due to those who did not conform but were creative and different.

---------- Post added at 08:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Right now around here dandelions are very tasty, and once they bloom it's winemaking time. They're a valuable resource.

I don't make dandelion wine but I've eaten them in salads (a little bitter) and I enjoy seeing the wild rabbits come to munch them. They also provide nectar for bees and, well, I just like the bright cheerful flowers.

We made violet jelly once. Not bad. I've sugared a few, too. They are one of my favorite flowers.

[wintergirl]

Personally I would never live in a place where there was a homeowner's association. It's not for everyone. Then again I hate when people burn plastic and you get crap like that out in the country.

[AuGrower]

Leafmite, I recently saw a picture of Monet's real garden. It looks just like his painting...completely beautiful.



Subrosa, I agree with you. I was trying to say just because people have good intentions with an HOA, doesn't mean its a good thing. I just meant i can see where the thinking behind it comes from, even though I think its wrong.



We do live with an HOA. In my defense though, I got engaged into it lol. I also wonder about the legal reach they actually have to enforce some of those rules they are so fond of.

I never get approval for our projects, and so far it has been good. I would like to see them try and take my greenhouse down...the house will go before that does 😈. It does seem like we are lucky enough not to have any problems with them though.

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by wintergirl

Personally I would never live in a place where there was a homeowner's association. It's not for everyone. Then again I hate when people burn plastic and you get crap like that out in the country.

On balance the HOA is essential, especially in urban areas because it removes the getting 'personal' from the equation. Basic things like picking up after your pet after its done its business. We had to put up a station and signs. Why ? because dog-owners were allowing dogs to crap in gardens. Limiting 2 cars parked overnight in a driveway. Why ? Because someone started up a personal taxi-type service and had up to 8 cars parked overnight with comings and goings all-night. Requiring people to obtain permission from the police for night parties in the grassway in the centre of the subdivision. Why ? Because of raucous parties and people getting drunk at all hours. Just a couple of examples. I think its fine for you to do your own thing but if it impacts on your neighbours, in town or country, then rules need to be in place. Unfortunately there always seems to be someone figuring out another way to be obnoxious...
Neighbours from hell can be a reality as there is always somebody who thinks he/she is special and doesn't have to act in consideration of others. The HOA is, or should be, impartial.....that's not to say that I agree with everything 100%, but you take the bad with the good. BTW, you think HOA is bad for houses, condo owners and renters have far more rules to adhere to - rules that are in place because someone, at some time, did something that then required a rule against it. Its pretty sad, but true. I have seen notices on plastic bags saying do not place over head - yep, society is being forced to cater for the lowest common denominator because common sense is a disappearing 'skillset'.


back to the main discussion point. What hasn't been mentioned is the fact that California's population has doubled in less than 50 years. That has placed an enormous burden on resources. Technological advances regarding desalination are probably going to be the most important crutch going forward. Pipelines - from where ? Great Lakes ? probably too risky. Maybe a trans-Canada pipeline just for water may be in the cards.

---------- Post added at 09:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:51 PM ----------

I just thought of another example. I rent a condo out and a rule is that no smoking is allowed in the condo but you can smoke on the balcony provided you dispose of the cigarette butts in your garbage. I had a tenant who firstly claimed that he didn't smoke and then claimed it wasn't him disposing of cigarette butts in the garden below - because he didn't smoke. It was only discovered once the snow melted that there were literally hundreds of cigarette butts littering the garden of the condo below. He claimed it wasn't him and and the HOA ( and I ) basically couldn't disprove it............until the HOA obtained photographic proof of him smoking on his balcony. Yep - it was that pathetic.....he had to pay a fine and all clean-up costs.

[Ordphien]

On a side note.

If you harvest the dandelion greens, cut them, soak them in cold water and blanch them in boiling salt water.
It removes the bitterness, and they become nutty. Great cooked like spinach or kale.

[Subrosa]

The affinity some people have for having others force others to conform is most distressing. It's a terrible reaction to one's own insecurities.

[Leafmite]

We have basic rules issued by the city. You have to get a permit to build things, you have to clean up after your dog, no dogs allowed off leash, no fences in the front yard and on the property line, no cars allowed parked on the road if there is a certain amount of snow. I don't think we can have chickens or farm animals (but no one considered the bunnies to be farm animals, thankfully), etc. It is very reasonable and, yes, we knew the rules when we moved here.
I don't think Canada wants us to take their water. They manage it pretty carefully and have rules concerning how much we can take from the Great Lakes. I think using the ocean's water is the best option, that and covering the irrigation ditches to reduce evaporation. Importing water from other locations is not the answer as it could hurt native fauna and flora of those areas. The water required by California and the other dry states would probably suck any other local dry.

[Subrosa]

The fact is that the population of California expanded during an unusually wet period to the point where there isn't enough water for them all during the more normal conditions which are now returning. As long as California is willing to pay the price set by those who have the water and are willing to sell it, no problem. Otherwise people will simply have to move to where the water is or learn to make do with less.

---------- Post added at 11:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:57 PM ----------

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

On balance the HOA is essential, especially in urban areas because it removes the getting 'personal' from the equation. Basic things like picking up after your pet after its done its business. We had to put up a station and signs. Why ? because dog-owners were allowing dogs to crap in gardens. Limiting 2 cars parked overnight in a driveway. Why ? Because someone started up a personal taxi-type service and had up to 8 cars parked overnight with comings and goings all-night. Requiring people to obtain permission from the police for night parties in the grassway in the centre of the subdivision. Why ? Because of raucous parties and people getting drunk at all hours. Just a couple of examples. I think its fine for you to do your own thing but if it impacts on your neighbours, in town or country, then rules need to be in place. Unfortunately there always seems to be someone figuring out another way to be obnoxious...
Neighbours from hell can be a reality as there is always somebody who thinks he/she is special and doesn't have to act in consideration of others. The HOA is, or should be, impartial.....that's not to say that I agree with everything 100%, but you take the bad with the good. BTW, you think HOA is bad for houses, condo owners and renters have far more rules to adhere to - rules that are in place because someone, at some time, did something that then required a rule against it. Its pretty sad, but true. I have seen notices on plastic bags saying do not place over head - yep, society is being forced to cater for the lowest common denominator because common sense is a disappearing 'skillset'.


back to the main discussion point. What hasn't been mentioned is the fact that California's population has doubled in less than 50 years. That has placed an enormous burden on resources. Technological advances regarding desalination are probably going to be the most important crutch going forward. Pipelines - from where ? Great Lakes ? probably too risky. Maybe a trans-Canada pipeline just for water may be in the cards.

---------- Post added at 09:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:51 PM ----------

I just thought of another example. I rent a condo out and a rule is that no smoking is allowed in the condo but you can smoke on the balcony provided you dispose of the cigarette butts in your garbage. I had a tenant who firstly claimed that he didn't smoke and then claimed it wasn't him disposing of cigarette butts in the garden below - because he didn't smoke. It was only discovered once the snow melted that there were literally hundreds of cigarette butts littering the garden of the condo below. He claimed it wasn't him and and the HOA ( and I ) basically couldn't disprove it............until the HOA obtained photographic proof of him smoking on his balcony. Yep - it was that pathetic.....he had to pay a fine and all clean-up costs.

Comparing restrictions on renters with those on owners is ridiculous. When you buy a piece of property you have all the rights attendant to ownership. The fact is that HOAs violate some of these rights by definition. When you rent, you have only the rights laid out in the lease, while the owner retains the rest.

[AuGrower]

Originally Posted by Ordphien

On a side note.

If you harvest the dandelion greens, cut them, soak them in cold water and blanch them in boiling salt water.
It removes the bitterness, and they become nutty. Great cooked like spinach or kale.

I had no idea you could even eat dandelions, let alone make them taste good. I am surprised no one has tried to turn them into a viable crop.