June13 2007

oops they did it again
no warning
without cause
ruined flower bed
destroyed bed of coreopsis
destroyed at least 2 dracenas - survived Hurricane Charley but now uncerimoniosly killed

time to get someone fired
sued
pay damages

almost forgot - Blackberry!

which?
cunifloius (sand blackberry) http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/main.asp?plantID=2116
or
argutus (sawtooth blackberry) http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/main.asp?plantID=2256

floridata

Bald or pond?
http://www.floridata.com/ref/t/taxodium.cfm

Beautiful!
http://www.floridata.com/ref/C/callicar.cfm

Controversy: native or invader?
http://www.floridata.com/ref/l/lant_c.cfm

Way south of Boston?
http://www.floridata.com/ref/N/neph_exa.cfm
and probably appropriate in Daytona (harley required)
http://fig.cox.miami.edu/~scofield/sofl_plants/fern_acrostichum_danaeifolium.html
Fern of the Forest:
http://fig.cox.miami.edu/~scofield/sofl_plants/fern_blechnum_serrulatum.html

Weep for Porterweed! Mine wiped out!
http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/main.asp?plantID=703

Giants exist!
http://www.floridata.com/ref/A/aloc_mac.cfm

More giants:
http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/main.asp?plantID=195

And a monster:
http://www.floridata.com/ref/m/mons_del.cfm

Xeriscape

So. FL Water Mgt Dist:
http://www.sfwmd.gov/images/pdfs/splash/splxeris.pdf

I have-
Trees:
Bald cypress
slash pine
Live Oak

Shrubs:
Beautyberry

Palm/cycad:
Saw Palmetto

Fern: several


Grass, vine, groundcover:
cordgrass
Lantana

Ann/Per/wild:
Lantana
Tiackseed (coreopsis)

coreopsis (tickseed)

http://myflorida.com (state symbol, wilfdlower)
also ufl.edu floridagardener.com
nice article: http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/wildflowers/fl_coreopsis.htm

Whacked again for no reason

Evening of Feb 1, 2006 on return home, find yard obliterated. I presume it is Orange County (FL) Code Enforcement. They even pulled out the sentinel stakes (18") to mow the hell out of it. Idiots! Photos in morning... Then I'm going to get someone arrested! or at least fired!!

BTW: this is the apparent history:

::::::November 29:
Tue, 29 Nov 2005 22:10:44 -0500

got another citation from county today. no reason why; grass under,
no junk. what?

:::::051201:
051129
received notice from county again (prev. in July). working wall
yesterday also; massage at work

1130
called, left message. more nonsensical than last time: they claim "piles of
junk and overgrown". took vid befor I left in a.m.

1201
called back. inspector is an ignorant imbecile: i told him i wasn't
in violation; he said I had to be same as neighors on either side.
Blogged at ypio.blogspot.com.

::::051203-4
mowed yard yard

Orange Co, FL

My attempt at correcting the situation was unsuccessful. My position was that since my yard was not overgrown nor had any piles of junk/trash, I did not see the problem. (Local regulations specify that 18" maximum for grass). The response was that I should walk to the street, look to neighbors on left and right. If my property wasn't identical, I would be fined.

I really do not appreciate threats from anyone, let alone my Orange County employees.

My response was that if I wanted to live in a "Stepford" community, I could go to any of the multitude a short distance away. Or I could cut down the forest and replace with sod. I have nearly 50 trees on my lot (I lost 2 to hurricane Charley in 2004). Growing grass in relatively futile in my yard due to the tree canopy. I use ground cover (such as coreopsis -state wildflower) for ground cover and to combat invasives like wild grape and brazilian pepper. The rest is xeriscaped.

For any in doubt, I'll publish photos of the current condition shortly.

Your choices

And with all civility, although you don't deserve it, you have three choices:

1. Face the fact that you aren't going to win. You'll just have to live with it.
2. Since you seem to want to have excessive community regulations, move somewhere where there are deed restrictions, codecils and such. I however enjoy liberty where I live. I'll even help you pack.
3. Buy me out. It won't be cheap. It won't be "market value". But that's the price you have to pay for living in a free country. Its simply pay up or shut up.

And further more . . .

To the "anonymous" complainer(s) and Orange County, FL Code Enforcement....

ONE MORE THING! Your Problem is Obvious . . .

.... still!

Here is some more comments about the July event....

Your Problem Is Obvious#1
Dedicated to the preservation of Florida's natural resources.For the rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happines... Choice of domicile.Against the Isle of Pines low-lifes who wish to impose their will on my property. If I wanted to give away personal freedoms and the ability to chose how I want to live and the arrangement of my domicile, I would have purchased a house with all those excessive deed restrictions. Instead, I chose LIBERTY. Nothing wrong if anyone chooses to live in one of those communities.Another message: I will not cease to oppose those who want to run my life. I beat them at the county TWICE! Whey the law wouldn't take your side, you decided to break the law and impose your intentions upon my property. When you couldn't win legally, you took the law in your own hands. Like trespassing and vandalism makes you think you have won. I'm not done pursuing this by all legal means.

YOUR PROBLEM IS STILL OBVIOUS

Around July 15, 2005 my yard was inappropriately desecrated by Orange County (FL) code enforcement. An anonymous complaint aledged violations; however, none was proven and the county did not folllow prescribed processes and protocols.

List of damages:
· 25'x10' Blackberry garden - been cultivating for over 5 years: DESTROYED. Fortunately, we picked several quarts in May (as we have done every year)

· ~6 Lantana plants - several years of effort; up to 4 ft. tall (6" lantana available at the store for about $3): DESTROYED

· 5' x 20' flower bed of Coreopsis (aka tickseed) variety; over 5 years effort to cultivate and spread these along front property line. I have been sucessful in using coreopsis to reduce overgrowth (wild grape, brazilian pepper and other invasives). At least until the Isle of Pines idiots ("If it isn't a rose, it must be a weed") came and DESTROYED.
Coreopsis deisgnated as the Florida State official wildflower (http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/facts/symbols/symbol.cfm?page=1&id=12). Several varieties native to Florida. Commonly cultivated by road departments along rights-of-way.: destroyed main bed and several smaller outcrops.
· Cut down a 4 ft. loquat tree.

· Cut all native grasses and greenery in front and rear yards down to dirt.
(Granted, the only grass in my yard is crab grass - but at least it was green!). My property is densely wooded (over 40 trees - ~3 Live oaks, 3 cypress, several draecana ("corn plant") - the original was over 20 ft! and 3 dozen Pines. In the last year, the draecana was damaged (which has been rooted into nearly 10 rootlings!) by hurricane Charley. One of two palms was taken down, as was one medium pine. Another champion pine is damaged and will need to be removed soon. The key thing is that my property is a FOREST and for the most part, growing grass/sod would be futile. We love the shade.