I certainly hope that no covenants are strict enough to demand meatball shapes. Some shrubs are more conducive to being sheared into shapes, but others are not.

As to the statement "The amount and character of the landscaping must conform to the precedent set in the surrounding community", I'd interpret it thus:

- Amount = you must have some sort of landscaping (trees, shrubs, grass, mulch) and not just empty dirt mounds and weeds gone rampant.
- Character = you must have some order to your landscape that offers cohesiveness in such a way that it looks like landscaping.

I would not interpret this to mean that if your neighbors have crepe myrtles therefore you must have crepe myrtles. And if you do have crepe myrtles that does not mean that you have to hack them into nubby stubs like your neighbor does cause that is just wrong.

Nor does it mean that you have to populate your landscape with just exotic plants; by all means incorporate native plants if you want. Native does not have to mean unattractive, wild and unkept. With proper research you can identify beautiful native shrubs, trees and perennials that can be incorporated into a landscape that looks like a "landscape" (for lack of a better word).

This is my front landscape, and it is all native plants except for one Daphne, 2 leftover boxwoods, and some daffodils. It was previously neat groupings of European hollies that required constant trimming to keep them below the windows.

You're lucky to live in a neighborhood where trimming of any kind takes place.

Personally, I love little meatball shrubs :-)

{{gwi:249317}}

What they usually mean is, you can't have rye or fescue grass if everyone has bermuda.

You can't fill in your flowerbeds with grass, or make new flower beds and have no front lawn.

You can't allow your grass to get over a certain length.

I don't think they can tell you want kind of shrubs to have or how to cut them unless they get completely wild.

I'm with quirky. My neighbor and I share a bed. They planted the yellow/green japanese privet on their side, so I planted it on our side and I put crepe myrtle in the middle. We all thought it would look nice to be uniform.

Well 5 years later...their privet is higher than the crepe myrtles. Mine is a decent height. It looks ridiculous. But I can't make them trim their hedge, can I?

Uh oh, just found out the neighbor is the yard police. She will call the lawyers if people don't comply. I really don't think she'll be happy about the way I pruned the overgrown shrub next to the garage. The ball was too big and I couldn't get my van in. Shearing a clearance would not have worked so I pruned it into a similar shape to all the Crepe Myrtles that I see: woody stems on the bottom with foliage on top. It's looks funny now, but within two seasons it should look fine. She might not like that it's not a ball though.

esh, your front yard looks great! Thanks for posting the photo. Can you list some of the plants in the photo?

ESH- That's a beautiful house and very unique to see that cedar (guessing) siding in the southeast. If you had asked me to guess where that house was I'd say WA state.

The HOA can't do squat. Tell them to sue you or better yet don't let them contact you or have a reason to in the first place. The key to successful subdivision life is "be a ghost". I know that's not what you wanted, but that is what I believe to be the key to long term peace in the sub. Maybe we we'll all get lucky and we'll win the lotto and have a million bucks to buy a county lot and build a custom home. Until then, we take the bad with the good.

Quirky, the company that makes the plan for this home is based in Seattle. We were lucky to find it as a resale.

redclay, the plants are (from left to right): boxwood, daffodils, fothergilla, daphne, mountain laurel (blooming white), netted chain fern (in front), native azaleas, foamflower (blooming in front), fothergilla, florida anise, ebony spleenwort fern in front, native azaleas, mountain laurel (blooming white).

You do want to see what kinds of enforcements your HOA has, by the way. Many of the older ones have covenants but no real way to fine you. They can have a lien put on your house only for monies owned (if you don't pay your dues or you cause them to expend money to clean up your lot).

Just go into this with a positive attitude and keep your lot tidy. Compliment your neighbor's lot if it deserves it and get on her good side. Ask what plants she used, where is a good place to get plants, etc. I assume you bought a resale, so talk about how the previous owner let some shrubs get too big and you are going to have to deal with that but that you're sure she'll like the effect. Nobody goes into a new house wanting to hurt the value of their investment ... and you are just wanting to improve things!

I assume the shrub you dealt with was probably a holly? I like them pruned into "tree form", which is what you did. There are plenty of examples in professional landscapes of doing that. No need to feel like you did something bad.

esh...love the house and what you've done with it. The front is beautiful!

redclay...i concur with the other posters. Go into it positive. Use the "more bees with honey" theory. Generally, the HOA doesn't want to deal with the hassles. If you keep things neat and tidy, you should be fine.

And welcome to ATL.

Esh, how much sun does the part of your yard pictured get?

Welcom redclay. I think I saw on your other post that you're in Lawrenceville. Me too. Randy's Perennials is a nursery you may want to check out.

We've also been dealing with HOA issues. Our new white windows don't match the off white trim. So, I feel your pain! They haven't really said anything much about landscaping, unless it's too weedy. I don't personally prune in the meatball style, but my dwarf Yaupon hollies kind of have a rounded shape all on their own. My neighbor's shape their shrubs like coffins! So, you may have some choices other than meatball. :)

Thank you for the comments. I really enjoyed transforming the landscape from ho-hum hollies into something that I love. This is our second house and I was ready to do it my way (within covenants, of course).

Pam, the front of the house has ideal conditions - about 5-6 hours of morning sun and shade in the afternoon. These plants have just thrived - that Florida Anise was just a little squirt when I planted him 3 years ago and now he is 6 feet tall.