Publication date: Sep 03, 2022 • 3 hours ago • 3 min read • 6 comments Georgina King, 78, is upset about a city violation notice she received about her front yard rock garden in the east end. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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Georgina King rebuilt her front garden as a retirement project, replacing the lawn with elaborately arranged plants, shrubs and stone paths. That was 17 years ago and King, now 78, says she loves it.

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Earlier this year, King received a notice of ordinance violation from the city telling her to “restore the city avenue to its original condition.” That means replacing the part of her front yard that the city owns as a right-of-way with grass, says King’s granddaughter, Ashley Wilson. If King doesn’t comply, the city could rewire it and bill it for the project. King says the violation notice has caused her “a lot of anxiety and sleeplessness,” and her efforts to appeal the notice have gone unanswered by the city. “I’m not out to cause trouble for anyone.” But King says the regulation is outdated, arbitrary and meaningless. “I question the logic of a bylaw that favors outdated lawns over environmentally friendly and aquatic options,” she wrote in a letter to the city that she says has gone unanswered.

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“A lot of people in my neighborhood (and across Ottawa) have moved away from grass to gardens like mine.” Among other things, King says the garden means she doesn’t have to own, store and maintain a lawnmower. “That’s good for me, but also good for the environment.” Georgina King says her front garden means she doesn’t have to own, store and maintain a lawnmower. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia As a retiree living on a fixed income, he says he appreciates that the garden costs less than the lawn. She says she hopes the garden’s low cost and low maintenance will allow her to live in her home longer as she ages. The city, which has limited media relations staff on duty over the weekend, has not yet responded to a request for comment on the matter. King lives on a quiet crescent in Orleans that has no sidewalks. She says her garden hasn’t been a problem in the 17 years she’s been running it. In fact, many people have commented on how beautiful the garden looks, she said.

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“I have always known that a strip of frontage belonged to the city,” he wrote to the city. “Resetting it would mean unnecessary cost and labor, and for what reasonable purpose?” He said he would feel differently if the city had plans to build a sidewalk or needed the land for any purpose — “I’d bring (the garden back to grass) without a doubt.” Regardless, King feels unfairly singled out. “The fact is, so many people in town have done the same thing.” Earlier this year, Georgina King received a bylaw violation notice from the City of Ottawa telling her to “restore the city avenue to its original condition.” Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia King said the garden was a peaceful haven for her. “I go out with a cup of tea in the morning and plan to spend 15 minutes in the garden and it turns into two hours. I don’t consider this work, I consider it relaxation.” On its website, the City of Ottawa describes the city right-of-way as being wider than the width of the street “in the event that widening of the street becomes necessary at some point in the future. “Nevertheless, a property owner is still responsible for maintaining the city-owned portion of their land, with respect to matters such as grass cutting and snow removal.”

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