A Chicago couple is fighting back after they were hit with a violation and a fine for a native planting garden in their yard.
Peter and Noreen Czosnyka have lived on Chicago’s Northwest Side for decades, and in 2011 the couple decided to grow a garden that included colorful Illinois prairie plants.
“It’s really enjoyable to come out and see all the butterflies and pollinators and hummingbirds,” Peter said.
The couple was stunned recently when they received a violation notice in the mail, hitting them with a fine of more than $600.
According to city municipal code, residents must control all weeds on their property, not allowing the average height to exceed 10 inches.
“The law also says that plants have to be maintained and managed. This is a very subjective standard,” Attorney Charlotte Adelmen, who penned the book “Prairie Directory of North America,” said.
The Czosnyka family is one of many who are beginning to embrace native plant life as a way to help protect pollinators, including bees. The plants are indigenous to Illinois, and are often seen in prairie reserve areas to restore insect habitats.
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“Having pollinator habitats is important, because we’re losing insects,” Adelmen said.
The couple says that they hope their story helps people to become more aware of the difference between native plants and pesky weeds.
“(We’d like to see) city workers who come out and inspect and give fines be trained, so they can tell a common weed from a native planting garden,” Peter Czosnyka said.
At a hearing Thursday, a judge granted the Chicago couple a continuance on their violation, meaning that their garden can remain intact.
