L.A. Inspectors Take a Bite out of Edible Landscapes

"Almost exactly two years ago I told the tale of Ron Finley, who took an urban gardening class and turned his South Los Angeles curb strip into a fabulously bountiful Eden that brought neighbors together and provided free, nutritious food to a neighborhood with too few healthy options," writes Steve Lopez. "This resulted, of course, in Finley being cited. The city owns those 'parkway' strips between sidewalk and street, and growing vegetables is forbidden. Finley was told to uproot his little slice of Eden."

"Finley decided to fight City Hall, and Councilman Herb Wesson vowed to take Finley's side," he adds. "But two years later, Wesson's 'edible landscape' motion is still stuck in the City Hall sausage machine, with several city agencies quibbling over details."

"And now the city's garden cops are cracking down again."