I was actually given a warning by the city about my jugs a few years ago.. luckily I was able to just move them to the back yard.. The only thing I can think of is maybe lattice work or a trellis set up in front of them..lol That way they would be kind of hidden.. Let us know what you come up with!

~Wendy

I guess that is one advantage of renting for so long, if my landlord told me that he knows it would be useless cause I would just tell him to get over it cause I am not moving them, lol. He so doesn't bother me or what I do!!

Here is a thought maybe take something and draw or paint butterflies and flowers on the jugs, so they will look decorative.

My vote would be for lattice also. If you Google "lattice air conditioner enclosure" you should be able to find one. I have one - it came in three pieces with screws and hinges and short legs to stabilize it. A less expensive option would be to build one yourself. I know there are directions online. Hopefully you will resolve this quickly so that you and "the management" can enjoy your flowers in the Spring.

LAttice will work, but for now it may be simpler to just buy some large patio containers and set the milkjugs down into them. If they are broad at the top they will recieve enough light to germinate. Do the rest of your WSing in similar patio containers because uniformity will help avert unknowing eyes. People who live in HOAs have had similar situation and they needed to comply with regulations, it stinks but that's the way it is, and their way to WS was to use similar decorative pation containers.

T

Thats what I was thinking also, get a few large totes,and put your containers into them,that stinks!Maybe if you told them you were growing veggies,you could fight it?
Don't a person still have the right to grow things in their own yard?This really makes me mad, I am sorry.
cAROL

Hey,I was just telling Wayne about you delima, he was wondering, if you could keep them in the garage,for a few months, then put them back out,right now, I think they would be ok in there, ????
cAROL

My father was telling me the other day that my uncle has started to grow from seed and he has been growing veggies. Well in the summer time he always has more veggies than he can eat so he gives some of them to the neighbors. Well the law came and told him that he could no longer do that. So I believe it all depends on where you live. I don't understand how they can stop him but they sure did.

Sassy, I remember when you went through this.Are you ok this year?
CC.Why would the "Law",tell him he could not give veggies, to his fellow man?I would love to hear the whole story,what is wrong with every one any more.
cAROL

I am not sure, that is exactly what I asked. My uncle is down in flordia. So that was pretty much all I could get of course my father has his theory on why the law made him stop. Monopoly!!

Anywho now he grows a ton of flowers to hide his veggie plants. ;) Cause they didn't only try to stop him from giving his veggies they wanted him to stop growing veggies also!!

Maybe you can just write him an explanation of what the jugs are and then just leave them there. I mean how could he really do anything except maybe throw them out? If he know they will be gone by a certain date it might just work!
Joann

The funny thing is, the management also complained about a 5-gal bucket in which I keep my empty pots and gardening knife. That has been sitting on my patio since August, I think, and they are just now noticing it, lol.

Even funnier is that the grass right next to my little patio is riddled with a plethora of smaller eyesores which the management seems less concerned about- those left daily by the many resident canines!

I am kinda tempted to just leave my jugs where they are. The notice failed to enlighten me as to what the consequence might be if I fail to comply by the deadline. Hmmm, tempted as I am, I would hate to have my seeds tossed so I might play it safe and do some milk jug camo. Both the lattice and big pots are good ideas. I will think it over tonight.

When you are thinking about the "camo" also think vertical. My hubby hated the way the jugs looked spraweled out on the patio, but once I started putting them on vertical shelving units, they take up less of a footprint and look neater.

They probably will dump them if you do not remove them. Especially if a neighbor is the one that originally complained about it to begin with. Shame you can't find that neighbor and guilt her in to making peace about those containers.

I would tell the management also about what the containers are for and try to explain. Sometimes that is all they are looking for, remember they are human also. Now cranky old ladies, eww that is another thing, lol just teasing!!

I did talk to the manager here and explained what I was doing with the milk jugs. She understood but said it was a regional inspection and was over her head. No, I can't blame any cranky old neighbor ladies, lol!

I think what I will do is remove the tops of the jugs and slide each jug base into a gallon size ziploc bag poked with holes. I have one narrow window box planter I can put 3 jugs into which will hide them fairly well. I would just need to buy two more planters for my 6 other jugs. I think this might work....

Maybe some one can answer, wont they be ok in the garage,as long as they do not dry out, then you can place them out side in the early part of spring,perhaps hide them better with shrubs,or taller grass?Right now, all they need is to be closed up,????
cAROL

One of my lovely neighbors called the Health Department on me last year (because I live outside the city limits, so no city codes to enforce...I thought I'd be safe!) They came out once for my wintersown containers, and again for my DIY self-watering containers (5-gal buckets and Rubbermaids), and a third time when I started lasagna-ing a front bed. My backyard is full of huge trees, and gets very little direct sun, which I learned the hard way the first year I lived in this house, so last spring, everything went in the front yard.

They filed it all under "debris" and said that I would be "attracting vermin." When I refused to remove anything, after explaining what things were, they said that I either needed to clean it up (or I could pay the county to clean it up), abandon my home, or face tens of thousands of dollars in fines.

Meanwhile, my children are excited to see their dinner being grown right before their eyes, they got a kick out of picking that night's salad before we even made it through the front door after I picked them up from school, the whole bit.

It's been almost 8 months since the first notice, and I just keep writing them lengthy letters back, stating and restating what everything's purpose is, and I've gone so far as to tell them that I'd be happy for them to pay to put up privacy fencing, since my garden has apparently offended them. (LOL, no dice on that last one!)

My fiancee and I are now scoping out land further into the "sticks", with at least 2 acres to play on, so I won't have to deal with bored old ladies.

Ahh, I wish the nosy and bored would find better things to do than pick on us folks who simply want to grow a few things.

I would use a garage except I haven't got my own. My apartment complex has a large, open parking structure which everyone uses. No privacy and no storage.

Well, I did remove the tops of my jugs. I put the bases into ziploc bags and have placed them into my planters. The jugs won't be visible unless you stare right down onto them. I still have to find another planter but I am NOT venturing out today. The high temp is predicted to be just below zero. So my remaining jugs are in the back of my car until I get another planter to hide them in.

Can't wait to move into our new house in March-April!

In the past year we have had new families move in to homes on either side of us as well as the home behind us. This fall we collected over 100 bags of leaves from neighbors in addition to our own leaves. These bags were placed on the lawn where we plan to expand the veggie beds. I cut holes in the top of each bag to allow snow/rain in. This way, by spring the leaves will have composted and the grass will have died. Tilling will be easier :)
Now for the neighbors...I'm sure they might like to complain a bit ..cause it is an eyesore...BUT...I filled each of those homes with a variety of veggies and herbs last summer. No complaints yet :)
Maybe the WS containers will be pushing it a bit...we'll see *grin*

Good luck Kvenkat! ya know...maybe having the containers in the back of your car isnt such a bad alternative...kinda like a greenhouse on wheels :)

But do those plants riding around in your car need darkness? If they need light to germinate, I'd ask a friend or neighbor to keep them or what about putting them in your house in a lighted area.

I guess different vehicles are different...the back of my van is sunny.
good luck Kvenkat, I hope you have a lovely patio garden :)