The city of Jacksonville is again asking a homeowner to mow his meadow of native grasses about a year after the plants were spared by a circuit court ruling.
Judge Patricia James ruled in October that the city couldn’t force Frank Swift to mow his meadow of milkweed, coneflower and other native plants since it fell into the city’s exemption for “cultivated flowers, gardens, and/or landscaped areas.”
In April, the city revised its ordinance, putting Swift’s yard back in the city’s crosshairs. The new ordinance scrapped the exemption for cultivated areas and only allows tall plant growth in gardens and flowerbeds.
On Nov. 7, the city issued a notice of a violation to Swift, telling him he needed to mow or seek a variance.
Swift’s meadow next to his house is part of a movement to foster the growth of more native plants. Non-native lawns threaten the environment and wildlife since they require chemicals and lots of water to stay green. Movements like “No Mow May” and some government programs encourage native landscaping.
Lynn Foster, a certified Arkansas Master Naturalist, visited Swift’s property last year and wrote a letter that described the value of the meadow, with a catalog of the plants it contained. Foster said areas such as Swift’s provide habitat for a variety of caterpillar species that are a valuable food source for birds. Native landscaping supports wildlife and does not require the water, fertilizer or pesticides of grass lawns, she wrote.
Drake Mann, Swift’s attorney, said he believes Swift’s yard is already mostly in compliance with the new Jacksonville ordinance. Mann believes the yard fits the ordinance’s definition of a flower bed, which has a few requirements but does not impose a size limit. If the meadow is cut back far enough from the street and meets a couple other specifications, Swift might be in the clear, Mann said.
Mann intends to speak with someone at the city of Jacksonville about the matter next week, he said.