Tips for Working With Your HOA

I had a frustrating visit last year from one of the two people on my Homeowner’s Association (HOA) Architectural Committee (AC). ACs are responsible for overseeing and regulating changes to the exterior appearance of properties within a community. They wanted me to “cut my weeds and get rid of the leaves.” Here are a few tips that can help you develop a good working relationship with your HOA when you’re planning a landscaping project:

• Review HOA Guidelines. Start by thoroughly understanding your HOA’s rules and regulations regarding landscaping to ensure compliance.
• Communicate early and often. Discuss your plans with your HOA board or landscaping committee to get initial feedback and address any concerns upfront.
• Submit detailed plans. Submit a detailed plan to the Architectural Committee that includes plant lists, layout designs, and hardscapes. Use borders to make your beds look intentional, and clearly label all drought-resistant native plants. Under Texas Property Code 202.007, an HOA cannot restrict the use of drought-resistant plants.
• Maintain neatness. Don’t be surprised if you hear from committee members again if your Fall Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), or other plants grow to six feet tall in the future. Keep your wildscape area well-maintained and free of weeds and overgrowth to meet HOA standards for tidiness and order.

Many tall plants such as Gaura (Oenothera) Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus), Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), Swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius), and others can be cut down to knee-high height early in the season, and they’ll branch out to make a lovely shorter flowering plant.

I prefer to have native plants in view as I look out my windows. I can watch the monarch as she deposits her eggs on my Asclepias perennis.

• Highlight environmental benefits. Emphasize the ecological benefits of wildscaping like attracting pollinators, conserving water, and enhancing biodiversity to gain HOA approval. To help committee members learn about the benefits of native plants, I held a short three-minute presentation at the beginning of one of our monthly HOA meetings.
• Stay flexible. Once you’ve submitted your plan to the review committee, be patient! Don’t be surprised if it takes a while for them to get back to you with their decision. When they do respond with their feedback, be open to making adjustments to address any specific concerns or requirements they may have.
• Use Society resources! Take advantage of the Society’s Native Plant Database to find plants suitable for your ecoregion and sun/shade requirements. I’ve also found that attending the Society’s Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP) classes is very helpful for finding plants.